Pioneer

Merthyr Notes I Stipendiary on Clubs. I Men.hyr Stipendiary (Mr. R. A. Griffith) on Friday resumed the adjourned hearing of the police application to strike off the register the Tirphil Workingmen's Constitutional Club. Evi- dence was given bv Thomas Ahearne. sec retary, as to the bona-fides of the institution and the adherence so far as possible to the club rules in its control. The Stipendiary dismissed the application after hearing Ahearne's evidence, which he characterised as perfectly frank and scrupulous and such that refuted the charges made. Clubs of this kind were recognised by law. and nothing but the strongest evidence of gross irregularities would justify the bench striking one off the register. There had been some laxity in regard to the ordering of intoxi- cants as provided for in the rules, and he (Mr. Griffith) suggested that the club authorities should direct their serious attention to this matter. Ob" t A Vaynor Objection. I Vaynor and Penderyn District Council invited Breconshire County Council to join with them in an objection to the Cai-diff Provisional Order of 1918, on the ground that mains were going to be laid for a great length in district and county roads, but the county council considered that their interests were sufficiently protected under the Public Health Act of 1875 and took no action. Commission Agent's Will. I Mr. Thomas Williams, of Wellington House, Merthyr-road Pontypridd. commission agent, who died on November 21st, left estate of the gross value of £9.88. of which £9,4ï6 is net personalty. Testator left his estate to his wife for life, and subject to her interest his shares in the Coedely Building Cluh Xo. 2, Tonyrefail, to the wife of his son Sydney, and certain house property in trust for his children. The residue of his estate the testator left upon trust for his children, Sarah. Edith, Edward, William, and Thomas. Colliery Fatality. I Daniel Davies. aged 56, of Swansea-road, Merthyr. was working as a repairer in the Gethin Pit, Abercauaid. when he was struck on the head by a stone, weighing about 51b. Twelve months later he died from meningitis, which, it was stated at the inquest on Saturday, was due to the accident. Verdict accordingly. Tank for Merthyr. I A tank is to visit Merthyr in June on a (( war-sayings" campaign. Pampered Pigs! I Mr. D. Parry drew the attention, of the Merthyr Health Committee on Friday to the fact that £ 100 had been spent on the erection at the Mardy Isolation Hospital of a piggery accommodating four pigs. It was scandalous, he said. to spend the ratepayers money in s-Lieli a ridiculous manner, and the man responsible for it should be made to foot the bill himself. Lead- ing up to the piggery, was a flight of steps, and when he (Mr. Parry) first saw it he mistook the thing for a pigeons' cote." (Laughter.) It was decided to request the borough architect (Mr. Thackeray) to report upon the items in- cluded in the expenditure complained of. Lonely Woman's Death. I H Death from natural causes was the verdict at an inquest held at Merthyr on Friday on Mary Lewis, aged 69, a spinster living alone in Railway Ten-ace, Plymouth-street, who was found dead on the lfoor of her bedroom after some neighbours, having missed her for two days, had effected an entrance to the house. Aid. Griffitysl Loss. Our sympathies go out. to Ald. Chas. J. Griffiths in the loss he has sustained in the untimely death as the result of an accident underground at Ehhw Vale of an uncle. The interment took place on Wednesday. Personal. I We are pleased to be able to report that Mr. T. J. Evans, the indefatigable treasurer to the Trades and Labour Council, and secretary to the "Pioneer," who met with a rather serious accident whilst at work recently, is now well along the highway to a complete recovery. A Farmer's Oversight. I For selling a cob without a permit from the Breconshire War Agriculture Committee, Charles Price, a Penderyn farmer, was fined 210 at Cefn Coed on Thursday. The cob, which was used for small-holding work, was after sale put to work at a colliery. Thomas Williams, horse- dealer. Aberdare, was proceeded against as the purchaser, but the summons against him was dismissed the prosecution failing to prove he had knowledge of the fact that. the necessary permit had not been obtained. Thirsty Pilgrims. I Five Merthyr men, hot and thirsty after Ai-ms, Cwnitaff, e- walking to the Millers' Arms, Owmtaff, pre- vailed upon the licensee, Robert Harris, I to give something" on Palm Sunday evening. Shortly afterwards a constable found them in the bar with measures of stout and beer before them. Accordingly Harris was fined L2 at Cefn Coed on Thursday for supplying intoxicants during prohibited hours, and the m-,en-Tames Thomas Jenkins, William James, Jerry Dono- van, Evan Morris and Patrick Kennedy-Ll each for consuming. Harris was also fined 21 for supplying drink on the same day to two other Merthyr men John Maley and Evan Thomas, who were ordered to pay 10/- each for being drunk and disorderly on the Cwmtaff-road. Bowls. I On Saturday, May 4th. an interesting match will take place at Cyfarthfa Park between teams captained bv the President and Chairman. First wood bowled at 3 p.m. On the foUowing Satur- day. Thomastown Bowling Green will be formally opened by the Mayoress at 5.30 p.m., when a challenge match will be played between Oyfarthfa and the Merthyr Bowling Clubs. An interesting and close match is expected. The Harry Thomas Case. 1 The King's Bench Divisional Court on Thurs- day last ordered the case of Wilson v. Henry Thomas, conscientious objector, to be remitted to the Merthyr Stipendiary again for the admis- sion of- further evidence by a Home Office official. I.L.P. Collectors Meeting. I The I.L.P. collectors of members' subscriptions I are requested to meet at. the Institute on Mon- I day evening at 7.30 p.m.

VOTING-PAPERS FOR SOLDIERS. I Mr. Hayes Fisher (President of the Local Government Board) stated in the House of Com- mons on Monday that he doubted whether it would be possible to send proxy papers to sol- diers in Mesopotamia and to get them back in much less than six months.

Mid-Rhondda Notes I The Wives' Strike. I The C.W.S. People's Year Book gives some interesting figures under the heading "Cost of Living." It states that Reference to the table-, shows the expenditure on food in the standard working-class budget, which was re- corded at 22s. 6d. in 1904, had risen to 28s. in ,.J ulYJ ] !114, and in the large centres of popula- tion it has risen to ols. 3d. in December, 1917, an increase (if lO;) per cent, during the war period. The average rise in foodstuffs of second- ary importance (but which are absolutely essen- tial to the householder) has been even greater, and amounts to between 140 and 150 per cent." How long will the miners' lodges allow the stan- dard of living to be reduced before making a demand for an advance that will be equal in value to that of the advance in the prices of commodities Win the women folk have to take the matter in hand and call a strike in the homes before the men will make a move? The Debate at the Baths. I A good number were present at the Baths to hear the debate lietween the two comrades, Noah Ablett and T. I. Mardy Jones, on the subject "Industrial versus Political Action," and it was very unfortunate that Mr. Ablett failed to turn tip. We know that his failure to attend must be due to the fact that Mr. Ablett had some other important duty to attend to. The Chairman, Mr. Dolling, took Mr. Ablett's side and did well. Both Mr. Dolling and Mr. Jones proved to be in fine form, and gave the audience a Aery good entertainment as well as much knowledge of the Labour and Socialist. Move- ment,

Briton Ferry Notes I Jerusalem Peace Meetings. I Cinder the auspices of Jerusalem Baptist Church another public peace meeting was held on Wednesday, April 24th, and was addressed by the Rev. W. J. R ees Alltwen. I "Worse than Dunnico." Sjvecial Services were held at R-eboboth Bap- tist Chapel on Sunday and Monday, with the ltev. J. Thomas (Glanaman) as preacher. Some strong things were said. For example: "W e are asked to economise, economise, and put less sugar in our tea, when at the same time the Premier could pay £ 500 for a tie-pin on the oc- casion of the marriage of one of his children." One person summed up the preacher as being "worse than Dunnico." That is wonderful testimony indeed. The Retort Courteous. An incident happened last week at a local bar- ber's shop which may be regarded as the joke of the week. -t bit badge man called for a haii-cut. Sitting down to wait his turn he asked the man next him Why aren't you in the Army? His neighbour answered "Be- cause I am a C.O." "C.O.? All you chaps might to be put against the wall." Without saying a. word the man addressed put his hand in his pocket and drew a Mons medal. Look at that," said he, I am a 1914 man not a. 1917 nian- like you. I have been to France and have been discharged, but now I am a C.O., and never again will they get me to fight." The blatant critic, needless to say, was effectually silenced.

j Kenfig Hill Notes I.L.P. Meetings. Last Sunday we were visited by S. O. Davies, from Tumble, who spoke on the Dawn of De- mocracy." S. 0. was in a very thoughtful and studious irfood, and held his audience right through the meeting in trying to point out when to expect signs of the silver lining of the da Ik--? est cloud that obscures the horizon. His optim- ism was quite refreshing to us all. On Wed-1 nesday we had the Rev. G.. Neighbour, full of exhortations to "wake up," and other good advice fr a young branch. He is always wel- come at Kenfig Hill. During next month we, shall -iave Mrs. Bpuverie on "The Russian Situation," and, we nope, Dick Wallhead. Calling-up of the Lads. I have spent the best part of the week at the Medical Board in a neighbouring town, and have seen some hundreds of young boys, they are nothing else, passed in Grade A, which is now the highest medical category. The exam- ination on the whole is well conducted, and there is hardly any waiting while the lads are undressed. One alteration could, however, be made, and that is when waiting for the Grade Cards and Ration Pay, as a lad may be examined at 10 o'clock, yet would not get his card and pay until 12.30. There is no need for this at all, and if a little forethought was only exer- cised, the Board could easily adjourn for 20 minutes or so about 11 o'clock, and let the first lot go. But they are getting their first taste of discipline, and one policeman in attendance does the rest. Very few of these boys seem to realise what may be in store for them. Most of the boys here are taking the few remaining days left them before being called up, as a holiday, and will probably for a long time hence look back on this week as a dear remembrance of the good old past." I trust that the exodus of these dear lads shall 'be a lesson to our "last man" gang, and especially those who have no children of their own, and shall bring on them the contempt of the parents of the lads who had to go, to satisfy an insatiable desire for the spilling of human blood, providing always that someone other than their hypocritical selves had to do it. A lot of these do not seem to be so eager to shout as they used to, but knowing what cowards this class here is composed of, I put it down to the raising of ages under the Man-Power Bill. If Ijp-servioe could have won the war, Kenfig Hill would be resplendent with "honours." But'it does not, so most of them are creeping back into their holes, and to shout now would be useless, for the Army is\now open to those a few years younger lamenters. I don't suppose we shall lose many of this crew," although nobody would miss one of them. C.G.F. I

i Pontypridd Notes. I I.L.P. Meeting. I I Comrade Owen Hughes' (Pontypridd) lecture cm the work of William Morris was exceptionally great, and without flattering him, was one of his best attempts on the subject. The discussion following demonstrated clearly that the lecture had been listened to attentively. Joe Jones made an admirable chairman.

Two-Pence in The Pound I ADVANCE IN MERTHYR'S RATES. I DOVE-TAILING OF EXPENDITURE. I The general district rate for Merthyr for 1918-19 will be 4s. M. in the! an advance of 2d. in the £ one the previous year. Tlti.,3 amount was agreed to by the Merthyr Corporation on Tuesday when the estimates for the ntrious eommit. were adopted. Figures submitted by the Borough Controller showed that the estimated expenditure through the general district fund was £ 71,841, the in- come (other than from rates) £ 13,496—leaving a balance of £ 58,343. This call on the fund was 1;11,090 more than the actual expenditure for the past twelve months, £ 6,000 of the increase being due to the wages advances granted the corporation employees. A USEFUL 918,000. 1 As a result of the inability of the Public Works Committee to carry out, because of war conditions, a good deal of work contemplated and levied for in past years, there was a balance in hand of £ 18,(XX), and by utilising approxi- or £9,000 to meet. the increased expenditure for the coming year, the amount required would he reduced to about £ 49,500. An advance in the district rate to 4s. 4d. in the t (inclusive of the Museum rate of ?,d. and Welsh. National Memorial rate of three- farthings) would meet the/situation. The charges on the borough fund amounted to £ 62,781, the income, t8,037, thus leaving £ 54,744 to be levied— £ 1',688 more than was called for last year. On the borough fund, htWvever, there was a balance in hand of £7,000 aiid the increased expenditure of £ 1,688 would be met by applying a portion of the balance for that purpose. EDUCATION RATE UNCHANGED. I The Education Committee's estimated expen- diture for elementary education showed an in- crease of £ 6,000 on the actual expenditure for the previous year, but towards this increase an additional grant of C4,000 could be claimed un- der the recent order of the Board of Education, and according to a resolution of the Committee £1,700 of their working balanco was being ap- plied towards the coming year's expenditure, so that there would he no necessity for an in- creased Call upon the rates. Secondary School estimates were up £ 500 in respect to the Cy farthfa School but, with a slight decrease in other items the application of ;€?4 of the bal- ance in hand. a call of £ 6,000, as was made last year, would be sufficient. Accordingly, by this arrangement, the rates for tlie borough fund and education purposes would remain unchanged. IF Aid. William Lewis asked what the advance in the rates would have been had there been no balances to draiv from. Mr. T. Williams: One and twopence in the £ roughly. Aid. Lewis So there would be a very serious condition of things if we had not this balance to mitigate the evil. We should have been rated at 12s. 2d. in the £ —a very serious reflec- tion upon the administration of the affairs of the lyorougli. Later Aid. Lewit; raised objection to an item of £ 500 in the Health Committee estimates for the purchase of a motor ambulance, which he designated as wholly unnecessary and moved the deletion of the item. Mr. Gower Thomas se- conded. Mr. D. W. Jones concurred and pointed out that it was doubtful whether the Government department concerned in such matters would sanction the purchase. Eventually, on the understanding that the item would be merely provisional and that the Corporation would have a further opportunity of considering the matter before arriving at a final decision, Aid. Lewis's motion was with- drawn.

Hon. Bertrand;Russell. I APPEAL DISMISSED. I The appeal was heard at the London Sessions on Wednesday of the Hon. Bertrand Arthur William Russel against his conviction and sen- tence, to six months' imprisonment in the second division for a breach of the Defence of the Realm Regulations. Miss Joan Beauchamp ap- peared as a joint defendant, and also appealed against her conviction and fine of £ 60 and 15 guineas costs, or in default three months' impri- sonment in the second division. The sentences were imposed at Bow-street, and were for having in a publication "The Tribunal" made certain statements intended and likely to prejudice his Majesty's relations with the United States of America. The Chairman said the appeal would be dis- missed with costs, the only variation being that Mr. Russell's sentence would be served in the first division. Miss Beauchamp said she would not pay the fine in any case. The Chairman re- marked if she desired to go to prison rather than pay he should certainly say the sentence should be served in the first division. She refused to alter her decision, and the Chairman said her sentence would be one month in the first division.

Anti-Socialists' Change opame." The Anti-Socialist Union will henceforth be l known as the Re-oonstruction Society (with which is incorporated the Anti-Socialist Union of Great Britain). The policy of the society will undergo no general change, except that re- construction of the State after the war will have full attention-providing, we presume, that such reconstruction is not called Socialism, and does not threaten the interests of the Capitalists, and their political executive.

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The Aberdare Economic Examinations INTERESTING REVIEW OF STUDENT'S WORK. BY MR. W. H. MAINWARING. On Saturday last at Aberdare Mr. W. H. Mainwaring met at an unofficial gathering the students of Alberdare District Miners' Classes to discuss their efforts in the recent examination. Almost three hours were well spent and the points discussed and suggested are of more than local interest. The examiner gave general praise "to the papers especially in view of the high standard of the test. He was also, from his own experi- ence, sympathetic to many of the students for having to think in one language and write in another and liaving, owing to the many things clamouring for their attention, but scant time to achieve correctness of form and easy thought expression. The good results of thinking out problems and giving them concrete definite shape on paper were emphasised. GOLD AND PRICES. Arising from replies concerning the causes of industrial unrest, the effect of a cheapened gold production in high prices was touched upon. The examiner briefly traced the periodical gold crises and consequent expansions of Capitalism in the Nineteenth Century. Cheapened gold did play a great part. but other factors, too, compli- cated the problem. The shortage of the circu- lating medium by the increased general produc- tion had a hand in this intricate question. (The speaker might well have here referred to- his fine analysis of the failure of the Chartist Move- ment in the April Plebs as an example of the effects of the removal of such a shortage and of increased supplies of gold.) Then the answers dealing with industry organisation pro- voked the comment that, not only was this a method or policy to secure immediate effi- ciency, but also it had behind it a new philosophy concerning the aim of labour organisations and the structure of the future society. BASIS OF POWER. Touching upon feudalism, in the opinion of the examiner the Church in medfeval times owed its great power to its temporal great possessions and ownership of one third of the land of Europe rather than to its theoretical lordship over even the feudal princes and kings. A sug- gestion was also made that feudalism did not originate as an amalgam between the hitherto communist barbarians and the remnants of Roman chattel-slavery nor exclusively as method of holding conquered land. Other older empires had been conquered and yet Feudalism had not followed in their case. The barbarians probably had a rudimentary Feudalism before they swarmed from their old hive and therefore pos- sibly Feudalism was a direct evolution from tri- balism. This produced a digression concerning the tribalism of the Welsh and Jewish peoples and their similarity. Promiscuity in sexual re- lations was ended by various regulations to pre- vent dangerous inbreeding. The formation of more gens, phratries, tribes and larger federa- tions proceeded with the domestication of ani- mals and the beginning and improvement of agriculture. Settled life, security of reaping the harvest, overcrowding and growing precious- ness of land made necessary a coercive force— the military machine began and the fighter as- sumed superiority but could not take all the manorial rights from the cultivators. Chattel- slavery is confined to certain districts of the world possessing unusual productivity of soil, e.g.. ancient empires and those in South America. The few bondmen in Wales were usually exiles from some other tribe with a low status, no share in administration of affairs, bound not to an individual but the property of the tribe. The bondmen were never numerous, and he was hardly a slave because he produced little more than his keep. Among the Latins, even where economic equality had gone down be- fore chattel-slavery, the beggared freemen had political powers to sell to interested parties for free bread and games. The idea thus put for- ward for further study amounted to recognising that chattel-slavery was particular to certain lands while at the same time Feudalism might be evolving elsewhere directly from Primitive Communism MODERN FUNCTIONS. The different dates given in the papers to the rise of Capitalism led to an explanation of the arbitrary nature of all definite dates assigned to movements. Turning to the Economic answers, Mr. Mainwaring complimented the stu- dents upon their group of the difference between, labour and labour-power; and showed how im portant were the words "socially necessary," when taking labour as the determinant of value, because these adjectives involved repro- duction under modern conditions. Gold and money should not be confused. To act as money is one of the functions of gold because of natural fitness, and in modern times it had its delegates. (Someone has it that as the foot-rule and yard-stick are to distance, so are £ s. d. to value.) Another interesting point was that the production of a surplus oould be proved by the "costing" of individual commodities. anc even labour-power, or from statistics could be seen the difference between the total wage-bill and the total value of the goods annually pro- duced. Passing on to definitions of Capital, the examiner pointed out that l the workers became part, of Capital. M-O--M to the capitalist was C-M-C to the worker. Capital existing onlv in use, the worker-commodity and his tools (if any are left) outside'-the workshop or mine are not capital ■ but when sold, he and his toote arr- part of capital. INFLATION OF CURRENCY. Discussion then ranged over modern inflation. of the currency and high prices. At the out- break of the war the inverted pvramid of credit based upon gold threatened to fall because peo- ple fearing what would happen clung to the little gold they had. The Government stepped; in to save the bankers and to avoid the de- pression which would have followed the forced sale of the property deeds, etc., held by them The credit of future generations and the na- tional revenues were mortgaged and paper notes for internal use made possible the use of gold for international transactions. But John Brad- bury had been too busy; an over-issue had taken place. This has the same effect as a cheapening of gold. The real value of the currency descended and prices have risen 100 per cent. The War Loan script will act as currency and have the same effect. The examiner thought it possible that a municipality might internally use its own paper notes as has the State. The above are only some of the points, which aroused curiosity and challenged further inter- est and study, that arose from the report. Questions cleared up several small matters and appreciation was expressed to Mr. Mainwaring for his services. Despite the disturbing factors in the present and future, the students and teachers felt more than ever resolved to follow up their successful winter session by increased endeavours to make themselves efficient. Effi- cient not in wealth-production, but in distribu- tion and getting to know what they produce and how exactly it is appropriated. On May 8th at Thomas' Assembly Rooms, Aberdare, an unoffi- cial weekly study group will commence to col- lectively peruse Will Paul's "The State." Come and help us "carry on.

I The Electric Theatre I I-hraughout its five reels, The False Friend." w-njcn is a star feature of the first of the two pic- ture programmes submitted at the Merthyr Elec- tric Theatre next week. woven around an arrest- ing story of love and ambition and staged amidst scenic splendours, is a film beautiful in quality and crammed with excellent situations. Robert Warwick, the famous World-Brady player, gives- an ideal Characterisation of the Man Who Made Good and Gail Kane is at her histrionic best as the woman he loves. I Billy West is given ample scope for his healthy foolery in the Villain, a farce-comedy out of which he extracts the limit of mirth, whilst the current instalment of Gloria's Romance is re- dolent with the charm of Billie Burke, who as the heroine in this delightful film story has en- deared herself to Merthyr audiences. From Thursday onwards 'The Amazons," fea- I The Amazons, a turing Marguerite dark, tops the bill and is per- haps the most charming creation ever presented- by that talented little lady. Then, too, will be shown the second instalment of the new serial, "The Red Ace," in which for the next three months Miss Marie Walcamp, who scored such a. huge success in "Liberty," will provide sensa- tion upon sensation—with "stunts" so daring that bid fair to vie those of the redoubtable Eddie Polo in the Grey Ghost." This week's shows were .exceptionally fine and" H If Thou Wert Blind," the five reeler for the latter part, is a stirring production in the senti- mental vein. Supporting all the big features is a meritetioiis. selection of travel, news, educational and comedy- pictures. Printed and Published by the National Labour .v the National Tiabour- Press, Ltd., at the Labour Pioneer Press Williams' Square, Merthyr Tydfil, SATURDAY, MAY 4th, 1918.