Pioneer

The Principles of Marxian Economics. 4. t

UPTON'S for QUALITY The Largest Tea Distributors, Manufac- turers, and Retailers of Food Products in the World. Tea Merchants by Special Appointment to H.M. King George V. BRANCHES & AGENCIES THROUGHOUT ———— THE UNITED KINGDOM. ————

I Political Notes By F. W. Jowett, M.P. THE ARMISTICE. I The Armistice having been signed by Germany, on the terms put forward by President Wilson, with the exception of the point relating to the freedom of the seas, the Allied Governments and America will be expected by the rest of the world to keep their share of the contract. Will they do so If, as is generally believed. to be the case, the message of Lord X orthdiffe to the world was not a statement of his personal views but an inspired communication from the Council of Allied Governments, sent from Ver- sailles, then, the Allied Governments have quite other intentions than are embodied in President Wilson's peace terms, for in the N ortheliffe mes- sage it is proposed, in effect. toO shelve the Leamie of Nations. THE LEAGUE OF NATIONS. lI.-+,1 r T £ c Should the formation or a neague 01 be postponed, as Lord Northcliffe proposes, the application of President Wilson's peace terms to all the difficult and debatable questions that will have to be decided wil be left with the Allied Governments and America. Clearly this is not what Germany has accepted because Pre- sident Wilson definitely stated that the League of Nations must neither be formed during the war nor left until after peace has been estab li shed. The League was to be part of the peace settlement so that all nations d he present and take part in applying the principles contained in the peace tei-ins and thus secure an agreed peace. Lord Northcliftes sinister proposal to relegate the formation of a League of Nations to a dim and distant future has no other object than to exclude the Central Powers, as they used to be called, from the conference room where matters in which they are deeply concerned—and in regar d to which the terms to which they have agreed give them a right to have a voice-will be settled. Ibis will not lead to permanent peace. It is the way to a Brest Litovsk peace, with similar results to follow. TO BE SHELVED? 1__1:J Unfortunately, there is good reason 10 o that the Allied Governments allowed the North- cliffe message to be published at large, and es- pecially in Germany, before the armistice was .signed with the object of iakiug the 6LIlg out of any charge of bad faith that might be laised later on when the German people realise that they have been engineered out of the place at the conference table which they had been led to expect. They will be referred to Lord North- cliffe's message which was circulate in their country before they accepted the armistice "here is, howevetrll, e? President Wilson to be con- sidered. He may have something to say about this plan of shelving his League of Nations in order to avoid an agreed peace. If so. he will do well to speak soon and speak openly that the world may hear, as it heard his other declara- tions. Otherwise, he will speak in vain, if he speaks at all. EFFECT OF ENFORCED PEACE. I There is another important point to he notea in favour of adhering to the original plan of an agreed peace in accordance with President Wil- son's terms on which the armistice was signed. is that if the original plan is not adhered to there is no assurance that they can be carried into effect. Already, the world has had ample warning of what follows after a peace made un- der duress. The treaty of Brest Litovsk was siy-ned but it was never intended by those who were forced to sign it that it would be tolerated for long. Russia is split into fragments and its people into factions, and there is no orderly government or federation of governments to carry out that or any other treaty. An enforced peace was imposed on Austria-Hungary, and it is going the way of the Brest-Litovsk peace. I Austria-Hungary is split into fragments and its people into factions. There is no security for the observance of accepted treaty obligations by Austria-Hungary for there is no Government to inherit them, and the old Government has dis- appeared. It has been suggested that the Al- hed Governments and America should send an Army of occupation to carry out their plans and establish States and Governments in Austria- Hungary that will accept the obligations of an enforced peace settlement. But if this sugges- tion is going to be acted upon the war is not over vet and to the military operations in Rus- sia, to enforce "self-determination," will be added further military operations in Austria- Hungary to enforce self-determination and treaty obligations there. WHAT MIGHT HAPPEN. I But all that has happened in Russia and in Austria-Hungary cannot compare with the diffi- culty and danger of a repetition of Brest- Litovsk conditions in Germany. -If, for instance, it should be decreed by the Allied Governments that Germany shall pay huge sume, not agreed to, that will mortgage the labour of every Ger- man worker—leaving him but a fraction of each of his week's earnings for lilrilwlf-then the charges will not be met. The Allies may garri- son Germany if they will, and if they can get their soldiers to remain in their armies for the purpose, but they cannot force the German workers to work for them. Governments would fall in quick succession in (rermanv, one after the other, if they tried to force German workers into serfdom, and chaos would ensue in Ger- many, as in Russia and in Austrian-Hungary, and there would be no Government or Federation of Governments to carry out treaty obligations thus accepted under duress. THE MILITARIST PRESS. I Fear of developments of the above-mentioned kind is beginning to show itself in the yellow press. At present this fear is expressed in the change of attitude towards Letbnecht, the most outspoken of all the German opponents of Ger- mail militarism. British militarist papers praised him and quoted his speeches so long as they found it convenient to play him off against Macdonald and others who are- doing service for this country to that, of Liebnecht for Germany. They are changing their attitude towards Lieb- necht now. One of the leading London mili- tarist papers the other day ventured to draw comparison between Ebert, the new German Chancellor, who belongs to the Scheideman sec- tion of the German Socialist party, a.nd Lieb- necht and Hanse, who have openly opposed the policy of the German Government throughout the whole period of the war. The comparison i was in favour of Ebert. Liebnecht, on the other hand, was contemptuously described as "a Jewish barrister" and no democrat. In like manner, also, will tin* Government's, socialists in this country be treated when they have served their purpose and become useless to thei governing classes here. LABOUR AT PEACE CONFERENCE. Labour is to be represented at the Peace Conference—-by a Labour member of the Gov- ernment. This, however, does not meet the claim put forward, jointly, bv the Labour Party and the Trades Union Congress. The claim re- ferred to is for direct representation at the Peace Conference and the inclusion of a Labour member of the Government who must speak and act as a member of the Government will not satisfy the claim. To the promise of such re- presentation Labour's reply to the Government should be thank you for liotiling." Yet for this unimportant and almost worthless place at. the conference, for a Government retainer, Mr. Clyne-s argues that the Labour Party should back the Coalition until the treaty of peace is signed, an event which is not likely to take place earlier than twelve months hence, and ?nia.v be delayed much ionger than that. The Prime Minister promised when he asked Labour to join the Coalition that Labour should be re- presented at the Peace Conference, and Mr. CI-nes contends that the flllfilnwnt of this pro- mise cannot be expected if Labour decides not to continue in the Coalition. Setting aside the point, for the moment, that a Labour member of the Government would represent the Govern- ment and not Labour at the Conference, Mr. Clvnes forgets that even if the Lalxnir Party decides to Vive the C\wliti-n,: Labour's share of the bargain made with Mr. Lloyd George two years ago has been completed. Mr. Lloyd George only asked for Labour's co-operation to see the war through, and this has been given. In return for this co-operation Mr. Lloyd George promised that Labour should be represented at the Peace Conference and lie is under obligation to fulfil that promise, quite irrespective as to whether Labour is in the Coalition after the war has ended. What the Prime Minister and his Tory colleagues are after is to get Labour to remain in the Coalition to back their after- war reconstruction policy. Just as during the war Labour was committed to any number of reactionary measures by the Coalition, so, dur- ing the reconstruction period, Labour will be committed if it remains in the Coalition, to State-aided Super-Capitalism as against Labour's policy of democratic control of socialised indus- try. SEPARATION ALLOWANCES. I The recent debate on Separation Allowances has resulted in small concessions w hich had bet- ter be noted. In the first place the date on which the revised scale of allowances are to come into operation ha.s been changed from January 1st next to November 1st. The first payment of the additional allowance will be made in a lump sum about the 15th of Decem- ber, and subsequently payments will be made afterii,a,rds ill two lumps sums before next Mai eh. rhereafter payments, will be made in accordance with the new scale week bv week. It has also been decided that the sole condition of the receipt by the childless wife of the supple- mentary sum of b/G will be that she is not work- ing for wages. This gets rid of the threatened inquisition to find out whether the childless wife is, or is not, accustomed, or unable, to work. ALTERNATIVE PENSIONS. I Another point should be noted oonoerning al- ternative pensions. In reply to questions in the House of Commons it has been officially stated that widows and dependents of soldiers reported killed or 4missiiig need not wait for the expira- tion of the period of twenty-six weeks during which they receive separation allowance before they apply for an alternative pension. If a widow or dependent has reason to believe that an alternative pension can be claimed an appli- cation may be made immediately after the sol- dier's death has been notified. The difference between making the application as soon as death has been notified and making the appli- cation at the end of twenty-six weeks may he considerable because if the application is made at the later date pension will he paid according to scale during enquiries and an alternative pension, if granted, dates from the time of award. A WELSH K.C. I Mr. Llewelyn Williams has opposed the Gov- ernment's Tithe Bill that recently passed through its final stage in the House of Com- mons. On the Third Reading of the Bill he at- tacked some* of his Welsh Liberal colleagues without mercy. Of the Prime Minister's hench- man, Mr. lowyn Jones, he said that although sent to the House of Commons to ginger up the rest of the Welsh Members he had made his peace vwith the President of the Board of Agri- culture by supporting a Bill to increase the pur- chase price of tithe in proportion, as from 77 to W9. Mr. Williams remarked of the association between Mr. Towyn Jones and Mr. Prothero (the President of the Board of Agriculture), who is specially connected with the Landlord iater- (Cbotinued at foot of nest column).

TheRhondda & the T raffic- i men's Demands. UNANIMOUS SUPPORT OF 35,000 WORKERS BEHIND MOVEMENT. TO THE BDXTOR. Dear Comrade,—We are greatly pleased to find that the traffic-men's question is still being pressed by Messrs. Aneurin Phillips and Tal Maimvaring among others. But, arising from one statement in our friend's letter in the Pioneer," of the nth, we hasten to correct one impression they seem to be under, viz., that the Rholldd.a. District S. W .M.F. needs bringing into line, with others in the coalfield, on this point. This district, we may say, has contributed in some part, to the E.C.'s adoption of the ques- tion, as, on October 21st, after the reference back of the question for one month, the district meeting resolved: "That we instruct the Cen- tral Executive to press for an immediate in- crease in the Standard Rates of all Daywage- men employed in and about the collieries." It was further decided that the matter be further considered on the report to be given on Novem- ber 18th by the E.C. members. The inclusion in the demand of grades of labour even worse paid than the traffic-men was thought advisable in view of every argument in favour of increased wages to the latter applying still more forcibly to the former. We notice that our friends of the Afan Valley do not disagree with their in- clusion. HaN-itig shown that we are so far alive in the Rhortdda as to have secured the unanimous sup- port of a district meeting representing about 35,000 miners, our friends will agree that their reproach was in some degree unmerited. QUERIES. I That there are districts which have not con- tributed their quota to the "push" is. we be- lieve, true, Monmouthshire among others. Are Maesteg and Garw moving? If not, what is the explanation? It the need less in these places than elsewhere? Or has dissatisfaction in these places less effective means of expression? It is a pleasure to find that Mr. Vernon Hartshorn takes an especial interest in the wage-men's question. To have gained his ad- herence gives us an added confidence in the cause. Not, of course, that we should now rest, confident of the final success of our demands. Rather should the fact stimulate our endeavours to give expression to the discontent which, un- fortunately, is manifested so much more ex- pressively underground than in our lodge-rooms. AN APPEAL TO THE TOP DOC. I Finally, we would make au appeal to those of our comrades who would not gain an immodiate advantage from the successful prosecution of this particular phase of the class-struggle. They may be collieries, or check weighers, or one of the other relatively better paid grades of La- bour. Let them interest themselves in the matter, thus making their profession of class solidarity an immediate actuality and not a something to be achieved in the vague and dis- tant future. Let them fiiui from the wage-men at their respective collieries whether they are satisfied with their rates of remuneration. If so-and how unlikely this is!—well and good. If not, let our comrades bear the social respon- sibility attaching to them. and give the use of their ability of expression to those possibly less favoura bly placed in this respect. With grateful thanks in anticipation of the publication of these few lines,—We remain, yours fraternallv, yours fraternally. DAVID REES, JACOB JEXKINS. GLYN JONES, Secretary. Treasurer and Chairman, re- spectively of the Upper Rhondda Trafficmen's Joint Committee. P.S.—It may be an item of information to your readers in general, and to Messrs. Main- waring and Phillips in particular, to hear that the workers in the Pontypridd and Rhondda District—a district distinct from that men- tioned above—are moving towards giving voice to their dissatisfaction. An important mass meeting of trafficmen will be held soon. We hear that Sunday, the 17th, is the arranged date.— D R., J.J., G.J.

Pressmen and the Police. I The National Union of Journalists' local branch sent a letter to the Watch Committee, which was read at its meeting on Monday, ask- ing that to ensure that the public should have authentic information on police happenings of public importance, and no unfair discrimination made against any particular journalist or jour- nalists, the practice obtaining in large centres of keeping a Rough Occurence Diary which should be open to the inspection of the press- men on calling at the Station should be insti- tuted in Merthyr. The Chief Constable objected to the course being adopted, not because I object to giving information but I object to people taking it." There was information which it was not desir- able should be given out. Councillor Lloyd did not see an objection to the adoption of the suggestion contained in the letter, and moved that such a book be kept, but the Chief gain pointed out that he had no objection to giving information which in his opinion was in the public interest, but he did not want any of his subordinates to take on themselves that duty. He would always give inrorma,tion freely as he had always done in the past.

I The German Gold Story jj I I IS NO LIBEL ON THE I.L.P. I Tired of the iteration of the perpetual and ridiculous charges that the I.L.P. has been or i':1 the recipient of German gold, Mr. Thomas Duckworth Benson, the National Treasurer of tiie Party last week brought an action for slan- der and libel against Edwin Truman, editor of the Ilkeston Pioneer," who in a speech on the market-place at Ilkeston on September 3rd. 1(,)17, slid "1 would like to ktiow-,Ior mere curiosity, of course—where all the funds are coming from to engage the large halls in different parts of the country, and to pay printing and other expenses. I challenge the I.L.P. to produce an honest bal- ance sheet, and show where the money is coming from. In my own mind I am certain it is coming from the same source that polluted Rus- sia, and is polluting other countries. We know that every year Germany is spending millions of money in bribery, and I have not the slight- est doubt that a portion of the money that is being spent to-day in the I.L.P. and kindred propaganda is German money." The defendant pleaded fair comment upon a matter of public importance. A RECKLESS STATEMENT. I Mr. J. B. Matthews, K.C., for the plaintiff, said the libel was not bona-fide comment, but a reckless statement of the facts. To say that the funds of the I.L.P. were provided by the enemy to injure this country was a slander and libel of the gravest character. The membership of the I.L.P. numbered 50,000, and the income was derived from sub- scriptions of Is. per member, there being special contributions towards campaign funds. In the official paper, the Labour Leader," the party published every week a list of subscriptions, which Mr. Benson acknowledged from Johnson Court, Fleet-street, so that there was little doubt as to who were the subscribers. There was no concealment, and the plaintiff published the amounts received every week. To say that these funds came from enemy sources was an imputation of the gravest kind upon the plaintiff as treasurer of the party. The plaintiff in his evidence said he had three sons serving in the forces at the present time, and two of them held commissions. They joined tbefore compulsory service came in. The I.L.P. was the only political party which published its balance-sheet, and that sheet disclosed every IW'W:" of the receipts. Or oss-ftxatfru^ing, Mr. Rigby Swift, K.C., quoted from a statement in the Labour Leader of August 13th, 1914, de- scribing the Socialist workers of Germany and Austria as comrades and brothers," and send- ing them sympathy and greeting. Do you ap- prove of that? asked counsel. Witness: I certainly approve of the brother- hood of mankind. Witness said he had an idea where the money subscribed for the party came from in every instance. TH JUDGE'S QUERY. I The Judge: Suppose the German Govern- ment did desire to send a donation to you as treasurer, do you say that they could not pos- sibly do it?"—"Not for any amount. We know the people from whom the money comes. I should not receive a large sum from anybody unless I knew something of them." The defendant in the witness-box said his speech was a reply to the peace propaganda put forward by the I.L.P. in Ilkeston. He did not know that the plaintiff was the treasurer of the I.L.P. The jury found for defendant, and judgment was entered in his favour with costs.

To Hell with D.O.R.A. I.L.P. CANDIDATES' PLAIN STATEMENT. THE RICHTS OF A PARTY CANDIDATE. We were proud to read in last Saturday's Herald" the following bold declaration by our leaders as to their policy with respect to the Defence of the Realm Act during the forth- coming election. No real appeal to the elector- ate is possible within the narrowly restrictive limits of that iron-bound Act, and it is the duty of every true lover of freedom to dauntlessly re- fuse to be tied down to an Act that works one- sidedly especially now that such statements cannot possibly effect our efforts on the field. But in any and every case it is up to every true democrat, nay, every lover of the English con- stitution as it has grown up, to take his or her stand by the gallant little I.L.P. band who have signed the subjoined in declaring for the "truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth :— We propose to discuss all the issues of the Election and use such information about them as we possess, so as to enable our Constituencies to come to well-informed decisions upon them. In doing this we do not propose to consider the existence of D.O.R.A. or to pay it any respect In so far as it conflicts with this Intention of ours. We consider a candidate for Parliament has a constitutional right to speak the truth fully and to publish any authentic documents or other in- formation which has influenced himself and which he thinks will influence electors. W. C. ANDERSON, J. BROMLEY, A. C. CAMERON, D. CARMICHAEL, C. T. CRAMP, E. EDWARBS, F. W. JOWETT, D. KIRKWOOD, C. LANSBURY, T. LEWIS, M. R. MACARTHUR, J. RAMSAY MACDONALO, J. W. OCDEN, J. SCURR, B.TURNER, R. WILLIAMS.

Merthyr Labour's Protest. WHY THE PARTY DID NOT ATTEND •• MAYOR'S DAY." THE STORY OF THE SECRET DIPLOMACY OF LABOUR'S OPPONENTS. TO THE EDITOR. Sir,—It is due to the many supporters and friends of Labour in the Merthyr Boroughs to explain why the Labour members did not at- tend on Mayor's Day, November 9th, for the purpose of selecting a mayor for the ensuing year. A short letter will explain our attitude in respect of same. There are 32 members of the Corporation—in- cluding eight aldermen and 24 councillors-the Conservatives and Liberals number 19, the La- bour 13 members. When the first elections of the Borough took place in 1905, there were re- turned 24 members, one-half of which was La- bour. and owing to their being united, they were in the first meeting that was held, Nov- ember 9th. 1905, in the majority. They could then have adopted a selfish policy and made eight aldermen and so have been able to have at least one-half of the Council until the follow- ing year, but they decided to divide the honours evenly, making four Labour aldermen and four from the other side. The chairmen of commit- tees and members were also evenly distributed. Since then we have been in numbers about one- third of the Council and expected to have re- ceived the right of membership in accordance with our numbers returned. But for many years, no Liberal or Conservative has voted for a single Labour mem ber of any of the 14 Stand- ing Committees of the Corporation, and only one of seven Standing Committees of Education. They have recently decided to vote against any Labour member being elected an alderman. The vote taken a few days ago is an example of the pursuance of the policy agreed upon. There was a vacancy in Cvfarthfa Ward and one of the members of that ward would naturally be elected. The ward has been represented by two Labour members and two from the other group. The aldermandc seat has been occupied for IS years by either Councillor Harper or the late Alderman D. John. The nominee of the Labour Group was Councillor Pedler, and having been a member for 13 years and his attendance at meetings being one of the best on the Corpora- tion, he should have received the support of all members. But the policy of extinction, having been agreed upon, he only received Labour votes, and Coufcillpr Harpnr. who bad already been an aldermCi for -i x yeaia, and mayor of the Borough, was given the position, thus reducing the Labour aldermen from three to two. Again, according to numbers,' Labour should be en- titled i? the highest civic honour, once in every three years, but in order to present the Labour Group having a mayoralty last year, and owing to differences in their own party, as to who should be nominated, they decided to re-elect Alderman Hankey. At their group meeting, prior to the General Purposes Committee, they decided to "appoint Alderman R. P. Rees, Dow- lais, mayor for the coming year. The Labour members, knowing the policy of the other side, decided to mention no name for the election, and have decided not to be used as props to support them in their policy of extinction of the Labour Group. Why was Councillor Pedler refused the Alder- manship? Because, by retaining Councillor Harper, he would only have to fight an election every six years, thus helping them to ensure a majority of their party in oiffce. We desire to state to all friends and sup- porters that we welcome their decision to fight us and to prevent in future any honours of office being ours. We shall attend to public duties in all committees that are open to all the members of the Council, but shall not attend any secret meetings when the questions cannot be dis- cusse d in public. We would remind the mem- bers who talk about elections that one election has been fought in the very ward where the controversy of the aldermanic seat arose, and the workers have by their vote of Monday last week, shown that they are not going to submit to extinction but have returned, another Labour member by more votes than the other two par- ties combined. The Kaiser, by a foolish policy, has reaped his reward. He learnt nothing, and forgot nothing and lost everything. The other parties, who are responsible for the present attitude of the La- bour members will hasten the day when only two parties will be left to figlit--Capital and Labour.— Y ours respectfully, OOUN. WILSON, J.P. (Chairman of Labour Group). COUN. LL. M. FRANCIS (Secretary of Labour Group).

est, that misfortunes brought strange bedfel- lows, and he drew a humorous picture of Tewyn Jones in the privacy of the bedchamber resting his head on Mr. Prothero's bosom, "and, look- ing lovingly into Mr. Prothero's eyes, saying. I wrought for you, I have fought for you, and I have whipped for you. You love me a little now, don't you? There is evidently going to be trouble over the Tithe Bill in Wales.