Pioneer

Theatle Royal The closing week of the Armitage and Leigh visit hag given us one of the best plays that ie in the Company's rep<yt<nre, "Dr. Wake's Pa- tient," the Adelphi success. As an expo&ure of the caste laws that, divide our society int-o harshly defined Rtrata thg play is remarkable; and though its issue is, as is necessary on the stage, happy, we cannot overlook the fact that in real life the aristocracy of brains might very easily be wrecked and ruined by the artificial aristocracy of blood that catches its blue heir from its possession of the soil of our country; the hall-mark of which might be taken to be they toil not, ueithei- they toil not, neither. do they spin." Louis Hector is the Doctor, whose love affair is tho theme of the play, and Jessie Belmore is the charmiftg heroine who loves out of her class, but the strong part in the play is "Andrew Wake," the yeoman farmer fa#ier of the doctor, who, sis presented by Wm. Clayton, lives and breather) rfrid gives consonance to the piece. On him, too, feU the heavier part in the Barrier," which was played too late last week to come withia the has beeu" section of my notes. In that play I was most strongly impressed by the fine work of Wm. Clayton—in my opinion the most cultured man in the oompanynd especially by the complete change in identity that Henry Nunn 'had effcted in his playing of Poleon. One scarcely recognised the big hearted Canadian voyageur as the same man who played the man of the world in "Lucky Durham" or "The Hypocrites." But the man who most filled 'the part as Rex Beach tells it was Arthur Leigh who as "Runnion" gave grip to the plot. He was wholly and solely the local colour of the play, for Louis Hector is out of his element in a play of this description, though the excellence of his Lucky Durham and other big char- acterisations placed him foremost in the eyes of the patrons. ".Find the Woman," one of the most popular plays in the company's repertoire, is running the week out. It has been played so often here, and its strengths are eo well known emphasised by this company, that no eulogy is needed from me. Next week W. V. Garrod is bringing his ex- cellent company in two plays of great merit, "The Heart of a Thief," a sentimental drama of unquestionable strength and colouring, and that great social production, "The Millionaire and the Wonyin. I know that the caste is an effective one, and I am looking forward to the visit with keen expectancy, as, indeed, are many fellow circlei tes of my acquaintance. PLAYGOER. —

I Aberdare C. O. Case. Mr. Philip Sriowden is taking up with the Home Secretary the case of a conscientious ob- jector named Parker, son of Mr. Evan Parker, the well-known Aberdare Socialist, of Aberdare, whouwas recently released. under the exceptional employment scheme and permitted to take up employment in his father's motor repairing 'business at Cardiff-street, Aberdare. After he had been in this employment for a few days it is stated he was informed by the committee that he must find other employment within four- teen days, and the committee had since insisted that he must find work rfore than 50 miles away from Aberdare.

300,000 Workmen's Dwellings. GOVERNMENT'S AFTER THE WAR SCHEME Speaking in London on Wednesday, Mr. Hayes Fisher said that the, Government aimed at building 300,000 worJking-men's dwelling within one year of the aeclaiation of peace. The Government scheme was to do ft throumh a partnership of the State and local authorities. Mf. Fisher said he did not think there was going to be any unemployment for many years after the war.

The Personal Equation in Elections. Never during the lifetime of the present elec- torate has the need for a sympathetic and close relationship between Parliament and the people been so urgently necessary, and yet the times find the gap between Westminster and the con I stitiierLcies much more evident, and much more impassible than ever before in our recent con- stitutional history. The intimacy of contact be- tween the M.P. and his constituents is entirely wanting. The problem of the war, except in the quest,ion of workshop legislation to which ho is directly subjected, and footi control which is Iepresented by coupons and controlled prices, is a problem that lacks the appeal of those less pressing problems of home politics that tho worker had to interest himself in before the wftr. A great gulf ha.s yawned that separates the politician from his people; and the people from politic which have become impersonal edicts, and intangible ghost pictures of the past that seem to lay so many years behind us. And yet, if every statement that has been ut- tered is correct, we are within a very few months of a general election. What is going to be the outcome? We are by no means pessi- mistic, but we have no intention of underesti- mating the difficulties. With a populace luke- warm in its political intelligence; with Parlia- ment removed entirely from the purview of the everyday-man, and exciting the mere interest that would fe aroused by a-foreign senate, the prospects for a Democratic "push" at the forthcoming General Election are not encour- aging. In the misty indefiniteness of things as they are, the" superior" person with the easy catch-phrase, has a distinct advantage over the Democrat, who, as Mr. Woolf pointed out last week, has an. excellent programme, but one which demands a somewhat long argument be fore its excellencies are manifested to the man who h as lost touch with pohttcal thought. If that advantage is to t minimised in reality, instead of by ostrich-like den al of its existence, it can Olilv be by the recognition of the task con- fronting us. A recogni tion that will character- ise not only our sitting M. P.'s and prospective candidate and public workers, but will he strongly marked in every of the rank- and-file, so strongly that each individual will personally recognise the task of arousing the sleeping political enthusiasm of the people, will constitute himself into a propagandist of Labour polities wherever he may have the opportunity. There is too much dependence, even in places with the democratic tradition of South Wales, upon the national speaker and tlw big meeting, yet, as we have learned often to our cost, the quiet personal influence does much nIDre on poll- ing day, than does the enthusiasm that may lift huge demonstrations to a fever pitch of fervour. In Merthyr, which is but typical of so many of our constituencies, we have a. good candidate with an exalted sense of the Parliamentary task, we have a complete and compact organisation that makes for fight.ing efficiency,, yet an inat- tention to details by the individual may well raise obstacles to the regaining of the seat as to make thetlight tremenduously difficult. The measure of personal responsibility felt by every individuaJ who thinks Labour's thoughts is the measure of our successful campaign, the a.pathy of the individual is the only thing that can de- feat us at the hustings. The new factor of tli. women vote will in particular demand a closer attention to canvassing than we have over given in the past; but this can be partially met by the determination of the women attached to the Labour Party to oranioo themselves to carry the message to the housewife, and to the unat- tached woman. Here again it will be seen that the one thing needed is not strong resolutions, but the right spirit of co-operation in the indi- dual working in full consonance with the cen- tral organisation and the Ward Committees. We do not mean that Mr. Winstone or anyone else should be regarded as a factor of no importance. The candidate is, of course, a big factor. What we are trying to drive home with all the strength at our command is that neither the candidate nor those who will fill his platforms are the sole factors, but that the individual will to leave no stone unturned to ensure success, to take nothing for granted, or to trust nothing to chance is an important factor, perhaps the most important factor, m bringing about 9 re- awakening of the political interest of the great masses of our people; which simply translated means arousing a spirit of criticism and enquiry that must result in the triumph of Labour and Social Democracy.

The Press Censorship. Apparently the presecution of the throe mem- bers of the Friends' Committee for refusal to submit one of their pamphlets to the official Press Bureau is having a reflex action upon thinking people. The-three Liberal candidates, and other Radical workers who have drawn up a provisional statement of Democratic policy to which they invite adherence, have included a demand for freedom of spt>ech and an uncensored press amongst their immediate demands, and Sir A. T. Quiller Couch, speaking at Cambridge, declared that the Press Censorship has been wrong in principle and disastrous in practice," though from his speech it would appear that he is more concerned for an unfettered and pure service of war ncW'S} than with the subsidiary effects of the censorship on home politics. Yet it is in the use that is being made of this sub- sidia-ry aspec-t that is so seriously menacing to the public weal. A properly conceived and or- ganised censorship would aim at the least pos- sible dislocation of public opinion, would limit itself to ensuring, that information calculated to be of value to the enemy was guarded against, and beyond that would allow a freedom of expression such as the British press has always enjoyed. Instead of that the mt violent use has been made of the powers that the new conditions have4 placed in the Hands. of the Censor to exercise a repressive in- fluence over publications that possess not the least benefit to the enemy, but which seriously challenge the opinions held and expounded by the Government, and pmpagated by them. This power is the more terrible since it can a^id does take upon itself not only the task of laying-com- plaint ngainst publications or persons; but also :f judging the case and executing sentence with- out the interposition of any judicial machinery, such as we have always expected, and found in the British system. Instead of a proper, public enquiry, the authorities now proceed directly to break the plant of printers. This we are sure was never intended by Parliament when it conferred the powers under which these actions liave been taken. In view of the unanimity of condemnation of present methods which has gone up from all sides, it is to be hoped that Parliament will take the. earliest possible oppor- tunity of rectifying what is a crying evil in our midst.

The Soul and Aspirations of India. THE HOME OF HUMANITY. BY..H. S. L. POLAK. Even to-day there are those who think of India as a semi-barbarous land peopled by wholly ignorant and uneducated people. But this is not so. Mi\x Miiller said if he were asked under what sky the human mind has questioned most search- ingly and successfully found solutions to the deepest problems of life he would point to India. whatever the sphere of thouglit under discus- sion. Inditt has treasures with which to enrich hu- manity as a whole. She has given us Hinduism, Brahmini.sm and Buddhism, besides the great cognate faith of Janism. She has also given hospitality tb Christianity Islam, which pro- c l a i iiis ti;? brotj claims the greatest brotherhood known to the world; and Zoroastrianism, the religion of purity in t?houi ^ht» speech and act. THE/WORLD'S GREATEST EPICS.. Her two great epics have no peer in volume, variety or influence, for they Jiave,become part of the lift' of the peoples, not. merely ol' the literate classes, but of ALL Indians.. She has lit? lias given, tho world some of the highest types it has known. Kama, the true son, 1 mother and bus- oand, who believed in the virtues of obedience, discipline and fidelity to that which he con- sidered the highest, and Siva, tho type of wifely devotion, are such as we have not in the West. India has nor, however, been merely a country of poetical or philosophical culture. She Ila given the litest the rudiments of arts., crafts and sciences. To-day her science of mni(. is more highly developed than that of any other land. It depends .upon thought forms, 1171011 the expression oi soul, not merely of mind. THE HOME OF SCIENCE. Jm'sotu?o);'? Euclid, s prop(?it,<on 147 "< found recorded in India, two centuries before Pythagoras India nM kncM' the mp?aJJur?cal and medicinal values of mercury and zinc, long be- fore Europeans had discovered them, and whilst Eurojie was still dependent upon Egypt and Persia lor her scientiifc knowledge. Zinc wa< extracted- from its ores a century before Christ, and wrought iron was known long before we had anv idea of its manipulation. One leasou for this development of science i? that it wa? aAs?c'Htc'd with n>lion and III I i I o pliy. In Illdia there has been 110 distinction, such as we are accustomed 10 between spiritual and secular matters. Not only does India look back upon-a literary, a scientific and a. philoso- phical pant, but also upon a great historical state and political history. Slio looks back upon a democracy so strong that it beheaded a king because he offended against the law and the will of the people, and made his son. before he W'a.s a llowed to succeed, take a public oath that he would listen to public option. In those days no man became a, king by diving right, hut by election and choice of hi* people; they became absolved from their obedience 1..0 him when he ceased to em'oody within himself the divine attributes of justice and meivv. THE GREAT AKIBAR. Three hundred veit-, ago the givat Akbar was ruling at least as gloriously and justly 'as his contemporary sovereigns in other lands. It was his great desire to unite India as one great na- tion which should enable other nations of the world to express themselves. The ;;roat Mogul Empire which he represented fell to pieces upon the death of the intolerant but fearless ruler best known here as builder of the Taj Arahn.J. for ho had alienated his Hindu subjects, and, on his death, during the struggle between the three parties contending fior the power .he had laid aside, the British came to India and 011- deavoured to decide her destiny. A FIFTH OF THE WORLD. No alien people can do this. It would be difli- cult, in the case of a small peoplt. but, hero one- filth of the world's population sire concerned. We of ili- Western world are expressing the genius of energy and activiDv—the masculine tributes. India is expressing the femino attri- butes of spirit. and inspiration..Her function is to illuminate us. to remind us that tho material aspects oj life are illusions excepting as they are linked up with the spiritual. We have be- lieved in a. fictitious freedom, not that npon the inter-relation of cause and effect. In- dia has, for centuries taught, tha,t all true laws are tv -cl on Brotherhood, and only as we obey such laws shall wo truly emancipate ourselves. INDIA'S DEMANDS. I bimnnansing I they are — (1) To bo able practically to govern herself; (2) to he able to educate herself; (3) to be able to reform herself; (4) to be a ble to make her own mistakes. (1) She asks that she may be allowed to I govern herself because she lias always been self governing and hns not forgotten this. Shtf 1. lieves that, given greater opportunity she etn to her own affairs the lessons the West, has to teacli her, and can give in return some- thing of equal value. (2) She asks that she may be able to educate herself, for she feels her educational system is- rotten and resulf-s in the production of auto- mata and machines which entirely prevent the display of originality, and is, in fact, but a kind of indenture system for the production of re- cruits for the bureaucracy. She asks that she may develop her own native genius. (3) She is conscious of inability to reform her- self under present conditions, because those who would load in this work are obliged to light tho bureaucracy and this hinders them in their real mission.

Wansbeck Result. LABOUR RUNS COALITIONIST CLOSE. I The result of the by-election in this Walls I beok Division of North 11 ml>erland, caused by the death of Mr. C. Fenwick, was declared on Wednesday as follows :— AM Mn?on ?Doaltt'on. L.) o,814 C. Edwards (Labour) 5,267 C. JlJdwar'l", (L:oo11r)  -M,ajoiity .3474 -1 Mr. Jul wards, who was met with the cry of "Are we downhearted?" said the principal cause of his defeat was that the younger genenv- tlbn had no vote. Mr. Edwards fought the Peace by Negotia- tion ticket throughout the election contest, and secured the great majority of the mining vote. Mr. Trevelyan, M.P., has been erne of his chief etipporters in the fight.

Labour and lhe Victimisation of C.O. 's MERTHYR TRADES COUNCIL DISCUSS THE POSITION. AND APPOINT DEPUTATION OF PROTEST IN LOCAL CASE. At tlie Merthyr Trades Council on Thursday Mr. \y. Harris (secretary) reported that on May Day he had received a wire from Mr. Ivor Gwynne> (Swansea) asking if the Council would be prppared to arrange meetings to be addressed by the American Labour delegates in Merthyr. He explained that a consultation I had taken place and he had written to Swansea offering an opportunity to the delegates to address that meeting of delegates. He had heard nothing further with reference to the matter, but he un- derstood that they were on their way back to America. Mr. Bert Brobyn: I don't think we have lost much. It was resolved to arrange a meeting to con- sider the Secret Treaties, and to write to the Union of Democratic Control asking for a speaker for the occasion. A letter was read from the Gelligaer Trades and Labour Council pointing out that a-t the last meeting of the Council a letter had been received from the Glamorgan Education Com- mittee, in reply to an application requesting re- eonsidemtion of the case of Councillor Morgan Jones' re-instatement to the teaching profession. The Education Authority absolutely refused to re-open the question. "My Council," wrote the Secretary, "as a crfnsequenVe unanimously resolved to see k the aid of all the Trades Coun- cils in the county with the object of obtaining the r\-instatement of all conscientious objectors in the tea<shing profession within the area." Mr. Bert Brobyn regarded the fight as a some- what hopeless one at the present moment, for there was not only the local and county m-n)rait- tees to attack but the Government also, for the Government did not believe that education was a work of national importance. Something like 22,000 teachers had been taken from the profession, avid 16.000, he feared, would never return. A LOCAL CASE. Air. Jack Adkins, also questioned the time being opportune, and added that it was not only in regard to teachers that. Lalxmr ought to take action. We must show puhlio bodies all ever the countn*" that we would -;ta,nd no vic- timisation of these men. He was led to these .observations by a local case. A Merthyr man -—a. rather of five children—after imprisonment for conscientious objection and work under the Hi >me Office A lternative Service Scheme, had been permitted by the Government to <eek work at, his own trade. A mason, he sought work in tha/B trade and found it under the Merthyr Edu- cation Authority, but when his appointmllt had coane 1171 for Confirmation, it was refused. Wbat- ovor a, man's vi<"ws might be on the we ought to be democratic enough to see that things like this did not hapjien. Some, drastic taction ought, to he taken in regard to local authorities victimising people for their opinions.. Discussion centred round this last, case for tho tune l>eing. and it was suggested that a protest should be sent, but Councillor Francis said tliere was no hope in such a course, a.nd -ifjrgestcd a deputation of representative men to wait upon the .authority. Afr. Bert Brobyn did not. think that the case was one which ou<»ht to lie discussed as a rsise of a conscientious objector as such. Tho man had served his term of imprisonment, had then been handed over to the "Home Office and- had worked SO honourably and satisfactorily that he had been given the opportunity to find work at his own trade. He had honourably discharged all his liabilities under the Government con- tract. and his case should therefore be con- sider^} as the case of a. skilled workmen and not a.- a conscientious objector, in which capa- city ho had already paid the penalty lor his unpoputar opinions. After Councillor I). Parry- had. ^1 replv ro a question. ?x>inted out that the architect was >ceking permission to employ more men to main- tain the schools in good order, it was decided to ",("nd the President (Mr. Hugh Williams) and the Vice-President (Mr. John Adkin<) to wait, upon the authority. With respect to the position of school teachers, it. was unanimously decided on the motion of Mr. Bert Brobyn u> send a strong protest to the Government. The National Union of Clerics. local branch, applied for affiliation and secured h. DELEGATES. Mr..John Adki'is was aj^.oinml to j opt ''sent the Council at tho Labour Conference in Cardiff last Saturday, and Mr. Hugh Williams (chairman) was a,p]>ointed delegate to the Lon- don Conference of the party next month and also to tite important Housing Conference which will follow it. LOCAL ELECTIONS. It was decided to ask for nominations frejn the affiliated bodies for municipal election can- didates, and a sub-committee of six was selected to draw up the programme. It was mentioned that tho Local Government Board I nt-i- mated that there were to be no November ♦'•lec- tions this year, but it was felt that the work should be proce-xled with as though that order Nv-zi, unknown, so that the Party wiU be pre- pared fight any bye-election or meet any con- tingency ansmg"

Pauperism. DECREASE THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY. The number ol paupers relieved on one day in April, 1018, IJ1 the thirty-five selected areas < oomvspoiided to a rate of 130 per showing a of two on a lHonf,ha!o and of 17 per 10,000 on a year ago. Compared with a month ago the total number of ]>au7>or.s relieved decreased by 5,23o (Vi, 2.1 P(\1' cent.). Tho number of indoor pau- pers decreased by 2,601 (or 2.1 per cent.), and the number of outdoor paupeis docr^aised by 2,633 (or -2.1 per oeijt.). Every district, except Newcastle and Bradford, where there was no change, showed a decrease, the most marked being in the Galway district (11 T)071 10,000), and in the Cork, Water ford and Limerick dis- trict (9 per 10.000). Compared with April, 1917. the total number of paupers decreased by 30,310 (of 11.1 per cent.). The number of in- door paupers decreased by 13,943 (or 10.5 Tier cent.), and the number of outdoor paupers de- creased by 16,367 (or 11.8 per ceni.). Every district s howed a decrease. Tlie most marked doei-eases were in the Aberdeen district (29 per 10,000), in the Central .NfetrDlx *tan district 27 per 10.000), and in the Stockxon and Tees and Edinburgh and Leitli districts (26 per 10,000). Ten other districts showed decreases of 20 and under 30 per 10,000, and in 21 others the decreases ranged from 6 to 19 per 10,000.