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Labour's Big Bid for Merthyr.■I
Labour's Big Bid for Merthyr. I Winstone as The Workers' Candidate. I Why You Should Vote Labour. I BY JOHN BARR. I When George Bernard Shaw came to Merthyr some years ago to support Keir Hardie's candi- dature, he declared he had not come down here specifically to address the working man be- cause the working man who did not vote for Ke-ir Hardie was only fit for a lunatic asylum." While few of us would be prepared to endorse :this Shavian dictum, I confess I cannot under- stand how an intelligent working man justifies an intention to vote against Labour representa- tion at any time, and especially at a time like the present, w hen the very grave problems of .after-the-war reconstruction has to be tackled. The great lesson of the war to the most ob- stuse section of society has been that Labour is the one determinant factor in economic sal- vation i.e.. in national housekeeping, and the sacrificing manner in which the working-class allowed trade union conditions to be subverted to national need during a very critical period ,iliows a ready adaptability to the highest in- terests of Government and a moral strength which will not be denied a foremost place in the work of the future. The Coalition is ended as far as Labour is concerned, and in the coming Parliament a free- dom and independence to promote its reconstruc- tion policy will be resumed. Analysed, this means simply that the struggle organised La- bour carries on every day of its existence in the country will be properly reflected in the House of Commons by a Trade L nion Party free to use every tactical means to enforce its demands. How, then. can any sane working man register a vote against an authorised Labour candidate? He is painfully aware of the necessity of organi- sation in meeting the employing class, knows the advantage to be derived from a solid united front, vet fails to see the struggle with the capi- talist is fundamental in our system of society and should be reflected in the legislative cham- ber by representatives of Capital facing repre- sentatives of Labour. To be logical, this type of worker should put an end to all Trade Union activities and attempt to realise his faith in the philanthropic ability •of the capitalist class to look after his interests. This would be putting the clock back with a vengeance and the assumption that there is such a type of worker left in our midst to-day seems so ridiculous that we may with confidence look to Merthyr workers returning Mr. James Winstone, the accredited Labour Party candi- date. to Parliament to carry on the same work as they elected him with all confidence to carry on in his capacity as President of the South Wales Miners' Federation. Has the other nominee, Sir Edgar Jones, any claim to be considered at all by the workers? Is he an accredited Trade Union representative? o. Whom, then, does he represent? An agglomeration of Liberal-Conservatives or Con- servative-Liberals, known as the Liberal Associa- tion. a small body so lacking in strength that they are not fit, to keep a Liberal Club together and composed for the main part of the same type as sits in opposition to the Labour representa- tives on our Borough Council. They have long since formed a coalition there against the La- bour Party, a movement which is now going to be reflected in our Parliamentary election by a Conservative and Liberal combination attempt to return Sir Edgar Jones as a supporter of Mr. Lloyd George, whose recent exhibition of dancing on the political tight-rope has been found pleasing alike to a gathering of the Ministerial Liberal Party and the Conservatives, a feat which led the "Morning Post' last Thursday in an article headed Need for an Ideal" to declare that "the arrangement be- tween the two parties is indeed a judg- ment of Solomon; every baby of both Central Offices is out in two, with results that should ■be pleasing to both mothers." This arrangement for a rush election means to stifle public opinion, not by getting a national decision, but by obtaining a majority for the present Government (formed to carry on the war) at the expense of all that is contentious in political an d social legislation, and to prevent Labour taking part in the Peace Conference. The Opposition in the House of Commons is now to be vested in the Labour Party, and perfect unanimity is to be found on the Government benches between the erstwhile Home Rulers and the Oarsonites on the one hand, and the Welsh Non-conformist Disestablisher and the Chureh- jman on the other hand. Such a combination breeds the suspicion that there is an economic ;axe to grind, and we have it in the cry Away with Government control." Last week's "Economist" declares that "the Labour Party at least knows what it wants, and much of the programme adopted on Mr. Sidney Webb's motion at its meeting on Thursday, will be recognised as sound sense. But its craving for nationalisation will be. a fatal bar to the support of those who recognise the deadening in- fluence of bureaucratic government." Here you have a confession of the principle of State Con- trol with capitalist bureaucratic management, .and consistently carried out means that you should destroy an institution such as the Post Office because a Capitalist Government chooses to manage it badly. Obviously the principle of ■nationalisation, whether of railways, canals, coal .and iron mines, banking or life insurance, rests on the truism that national co-operation is bet- ter than individual competition, quite apart from the fact that bureaucratic Capitalism may :mismanage national enterprises. One fact has been hammered clearly into our brain during the last four years, and that is, that during a great crisis in our history private enterprise completely broke down and had to be substituted by State interference. I advise readers of the Pioneer to glance over Mr. Jowett's article of November 9th, and I they will find plenty of matter touching on the l plan of replacing State Control of materials by .capitalist monopoly. "Away with Government Control" advocates mean to turn the State-owned munition factories into private capitalist concerns and thereby pre- vent the country from "turning them on to making goods for ordinary use to meet the enor- mous demand there will be, and at the same time keep down prices. 1, Keep the Tory out, as an old Welsh politi- cal battle-cry is now to be substituted by Keep Labour out," shouted from the housetops of Tory Squiredom as well as Radical Nonconfor- mity, but the game is so transparent that when we have a Labour candidate as in Merthyr the issue can be safely left in the hands of the worker. Winstone for Merthyr. I During the past two weeks Mr. James Win- stone, the Merthyr Miners' Nominee for Par- liamentary honours, has been visiting the out- skirts of the constituency, and has held meet- ings in such important centres as Treharris, Merthyr Yale, etc., while visiting also the more sparsely inhabited centres of Pengarnddu, Moun- tain Hare and Clwydyfagwyr. The meetings in all cases have been addressed by local speakers and the candidate. This General Election will be unique in many respects, but one of the fea- tures, viz., all elections on the same day, will do away with migratory speakers to a great ex- tent. We have to make this fight ourselves, and we intend to do so. Winstone himself is in great form, and has the physical strength neces- sary to a strenuous fight. He has done with D.O.R.A. and has determined to speak without fear or restraint. The meetings have been well attended, es- pecially by the new women voters. The women are taking great interest in the fight. No doubt they are influenced by the threat of Conscription. We are all wondering what will become of our boys as they reach 18. If this miraculous Coalition Government pro- mises anything—then look out. Remember the broken pledges of the last four years. In fact, the making of a pledge showed the final result. It is more than ever necessary to get a strong Labour Party in the House. Merthyr intends to send Winstone. The local organisation is as good as any in the country—but it can be made better still. We want all workers to join the Ward Committees. Organisation wins each time. Meetings are Bl, but Organisation AI. Already some of the Ward Committees are over 100 strong, by next week we shall publish the strength of each working Ward Committee. Cyfarthfa Ward is in great form, taring ex- perienced a preliminary bout, forty women acted as active workers. Now all wards must follow suit and beat this. We are informed that the "other side" at Shiloh last week indulged in personalities by bandying terms about. Well, let them. We in- tend to preach our principles and ignore the "other side" altogether. We are not fighting for Winstone. We arc fighting for principles. We must not be drawn off the track. Winstone is the chosen candida- date to represent our principles and no more. All Labour men should close their ranks at once and march shoulder to shoulder to register their belief in those principles. The Coalition Party is promising great things, but a little analysis of their lip service will show the hollowness of the whole plot. Note first, as Welshmen, the game going on with Disestablishment. Xote also, as Irishmen, the side stepping on Home Rule. Note, as con- sumers, the flirting with Tariff Reform. Is it any wonder that Sir L. Chiozza Money, M.P., has resigned from the caucus ? Reconstruction is the golden word to catch votes, and Money says it is a phantom. Money is a great Econo- mist and a Liberal, and sees clearly the short- comings of his follows. So serious are the faults that he has parted company after warn- ing the caucus. Workers! you must have your own methods of Reconstruction, the present basis is wrong. The whole of our social fabric is built on im- moral and unjust foundations. Before we reconstruct we dig under and lay a proper concrete foundation. We think that nothing can be better this wpek than publishing here the Labour Party Programme. We are cool enough this week to look over it carefully. Workers, study it well. The National Party will issue special leaflets dealing with immediate questions. These leaflets wil be distributed to each house—therefore join your Ward Commit- tee to assist. In the meantime study this pro- gramme:— The Labour Party is the Party of the People whose labour, mental and manual, produces the wealth which, equitably shared, would suffice to maintain a fair standard of life for all, and pay the cost of reconstructing society in harmony with the principles of justice, equality and free- dom. The chief Objects of the Labour Party are:— To secure for the producers by hand or by brain the full fruits of their industry, and the most equitable distribution thereof that may be possible, upon the basis of the common ownership of the means of production, and the best obtainable system of popular administration and control of each industry or service. Generally, to promote the Political, Social aud Economic Emancipation of the People, and more particularly of those who depend directly upon their own exertions, by hand or by brain for the means of life. "—(Constitution/ Section The above Programme is) first and foremose, an Anti- Profiteering Programme. It calls for immediate legislation to effect a drastic reduc- tion in the Cost of Living in the direct and In- direct interests of all the Breadwinners of the Nation—including workers in every profession- Civil Servants, Municipal Employees, Teachers, Salary-earners and Wage-earners of every class and degree—as well as of persons dependent upon pensions, annuities, and small fixed in- comes. The Labour Party demands that the Supplies of Eood and other Necessaries of Life (especially Bread, Meat, Milk, Sugar, Butter, and Mar- garine), Water, Coal, Lighting, and Transport by Rail, Steamer, Train and 'Bus (now almost entirely controlled by Monopolist Combines, Trusts and Rings) shall be acquired by the State, to be administered, nationally or muni- cipally, solely in the interests of the public and of the consumers, without prifit. It further demands the Nationalisation of all Land, in order to secure the adequate dwelling accommodation required for the solution of the Housing Question, which concerns every class of breadwinner. It also recommends that every grade of Edu- cation, from Primary to Technical and Univer- sity, should be free'to every citizen able and willing to make use of it. In International policy it proclaims the ideal of a League of Nations as a practicable solution of the problem of war, involving the establish- ment of international courts of conciliation and judicial arbitration for the settlement of dis- putes between nations, and the setting up of an International Legislature for the development of international legislation which will definitely bind the consenting States. This International system further implies Democratic ontrol of Foreign Policy, the aboli- tion of Secret Diplomacy and the publication of all Treaties, along with the complete democra- tisation of Governments and the concerted aboli- tion of compulsory military service and standing armaments. The Labour Party, in short, seeks to set up a new social and economic order, based on co- operation instead of competition, and in con- junction with the democratic parties in other lands seeks to establish a Society of Nations, which will guarantee the widest possible free- dom and security for the peoples of the world, and involve the exploitation and subjection of none. To achieve the above—work with Winstone. I The Labour Party is determined to increase pensions to soldiers' widows and dependents- the present grants are hopeless. Winstone is the father of two soldier sons still at the front. All ex-soldiers and present ones should note this fad. Women—work with Winstone.
Rents—Warning. I
Rents—Warning. I Owners of houses in the borough are issuing notices to tenants to increase their rents by 2 i- and 4/- per month (and more). The Trades Council have several cases under observation at present. Tenants are advised that no increase of rent is legal. Extra rates may be. charged, but the amount of fxtra rate cannot be ex- ploited. The Trades Council have calculated the amount due on houses of monthly rents from 4/- to 40/- per month and the Ward Secretaries and delegates have copies of the tables. Tenants are advised not to pay a penny-piece until they have consulted the Ward Secretaries. The local Labour Party have saved the workers of this Borough immense sums during the past three years. Thousands of pounds have been saved to them. We intend to protect them during this six months. Tenants must note that the Rent cannot be increased. The extra rate can be charged—it is a very small itpm. For instance: For 26 weeks the amount on a 4/- per week house is 8/4, or 3.6d. per week (less than 4d.) on a 8/- per week house it is 25/5, or less than 1/- per week. So, stick it, Tenants! Do not be robbed. The Labour Party will protect you and give all legal advice free of cost to affiliated members. N.B.—Work with Winstone. Win a new World.
ISouth Wales Trafficmen I
South Wales Trafficmen WAGES AND PEACE. TO THE EDITOR. I Sir,—On behalf of the Afan Valley Committee of Traiffcmen we wish to express our regret to the comrades of the Upper Rhondda for the error we made in including their district in the appeal to districts which have not adopted reso- lutions requesting the KC. to immediately deal with the question of the low wages paid to trafficmen and the other day-wage men at the collieries. Unfortunately, there are many pro- minent leaders of the rank and file who are la- bouring* under the impression that the wages now paid to the mlllers are satisfactory and are commensurate to the needs of the time. We have no intention of belittling the good work done by the E.C., in winning from the Govern- ment the war-bonuses now prevailing. But we believe we are entitled to express the opinion that the increases we, have had in no wav equalise with the rapacity of the profiteers measured in the present high cost of inferior living. Our organisation exists to protect and advance the welfare of its members. Undoubt- edly it has to an immense extent protected our interests during the waging of the greatest capi- talist war in history, but owing to the spurious form of patriotism which has been rampant our economic position in society is worse now than previous to the declaration of war liri 1914. And the average workman at the collieries finds it far more difficult to make both ends meet now than he has for the past six years. The position of the capitalist, the coalowner and the other ex- ploitensof Labour is far better after four years of destruction than previously. Business as usual" has been their motto, and will always be so long as Labour will in its timidity sit idly by and refuse to exert the pressure it is capable of exerting. That the E.C. is preparing for big things is our hope, and when formulating their new pro- gramme of daily standards it is our wish that the other parties to the Triple Alliance are also getting ready with their programme so that when the time comes to act, should any unneces- sary difficulties be placed in our way by the employers we shall be able to act together in one big pull. The Afan Valley Transport Workers w ill keep pegging away at the ques- tion of a new agreement on the lines approved of by the Rhondda hoys and the host of other districts in the coalfield until such time as the matter has become an actual fact appearing upon the pay-check. The grave fear that exists in our minds is the interpretation which may be placed upon the clause in the present agree- ment which, if we remember rightly, reads: That it shall continue for six months after the war with three months' notide to be given by either side." Are we to understand that the six months commence from the date the armis- tice was signed, or is it six months from the date the Peace Treaty has been signed. In our opinion the matter- is vague in so far as the orthodox opinion is concerned relating to the end of a war. But we believe there is every jus- tification for assuming that the war has ended so far as this agreement is involved, and if we are to wait until the ambitions of Churchill and the capitalist press have materialised, we shall have to continue upon the present inadequate rates of remuneration until the Allies have re- stored the old system of exploitation of the workers in Russia and in the new republics.- Yours fratemallv, ANEURIX PHILLIPS. I Port Talbot. T. MAINWARING. PS. Port Talbot.
German Republic. I
German Republic. I I.L.P.'s CONCRATULATIONS TO SOCIAL I DEMOCRATS. The National Council of the Independent Lar- bour Party desire to congratulate the German Social Democracy upon the brilliant and almost bloodless revolution they have achieved, by which the power of the militarist and capitalist class has been overthrown and the Socialist Government established. They welcome the agreement between the two sections 01 the German Socialist Movement and hope and llieve that the Socialist Government of the German Republic will justify the claim of democracy to the control of political power, and tfiat this Government, supported by the German people, will secure the country's political and economic re-organisation on Socialist lines and will stimulate the Socialist Movement in all countries to continue its historic mission for the conquest of political and economic control by the democracy.—Resolution passed by the National Council of the Independent Labour Party.
Advertising
INDEPENDENT LABOUR PARTY. WELSH DIVISIONAL COUNCIL. General Election. I.L.P. CANDIDATES IN WALES. ——— 24 Ovington Terrace, Cardiff, November 11th, 1918. Dear Comrade, AN APPEAL FOR FINANCIAL SUPPORT. The Independent Labour Party is responsible for the following Parliamentary Candidatures: Aberdare REV. T. E. NICHOLAS. Cardiff Central J. E. EDMUNDS. Swansea East DAVID WILLIAMS. Throughout the Country a large number of Candidates are being put forward by the Party, the result is that the total expenditure will be exceedingly heavy, and the amount of financial support available for each candidate will be very limited. The Divisional Council feels that there are many organisations and individuals connected with the Labour Movement in Wales who would, under these circumstances, De glad to assist the three local candidatures by subscribing towards the Election Expenses. The Council there- fore issues this circular in order that the position may be made known to your members, and an opportunity afforded for assisting in the manner referred to. The Election is now close at hand. The forces of reaction have unlimited wealth at their disposal, and in order that the best possible fight may be made by our candidates, funds are urgently needed. We therefore make a confident appeal for donations, and trust it may receive your gener- ous consideration. Thanking you in anticipation of your assistance in the common cause, Yours fraternally, J. D. MORCAtf (Treasurer). J. WATT (Secretary). Welsh Divisional Council (I.L.P.) General Election Fund. I enclose E on behalf of Secretary Address Date Cheques, &c., to be made payable and to be sent to J. D. Morgan, Rhubina, Cardiff.
The Block Vote and Candidates,…
The Block Vote and Candidates, I SUGGESTED ALTERNATIVE SCHEMES. I I TO THE BDETOR. I Sir,—Now that a General Election is certain it is desirable trat all who have the interests of the Labour Party at heart, should look out for all mistakes in methods of conducting our business, with a view of avoiding them in future. From Socialist Press reports I find that serious splits are occurring in various consti- tuencies over the question of the selection of candidates. Unless this can be avoided our prospects are hopeless. In East Carmarthen we are now suffering from one of these unpleasant episodes. The local Labour Rrepresentation Committee for this constituency, which includes Llanelly, the Amman and Gwendraeth Valleys, Tumble, and other places, had gone through all the requisite formalities, and selected their can- didate, when some partisans of the losing can- didate made representations to the .National La- bour Party Executive, alleging improper con- duct of the election. The National Executive ordered a repetition of the whole business, nomination, selection, conference, election, al- though no evidence or proof of any w rong-doing has been produced against the winning side, while on the other hand certain partisans of the losing side did not come out of the matter very creditably. The nominal cause of the trouble was the fact that the losing side, after having agreed to a certain method of voting in the selection of the candidate, refused to abide by the result, made allegations which they could not sustain, and finally worked up a strong movement in favour of a further individual ballot vote of the whole affiliated members to finally decide which can- didate should be chosen. It was decided that this ballot vote should be taken, but when the proposed method of con- ducting the ballot was found to be too costly, the idea was given up, and a system of voting adopted on the lines in force in the Labour Party generally, the block vote of the various branches. The only difference between this vote and the one to which objection has been taken is that instead of the Branch Secretary sending in the block votes of his branch to the local La- bour Party secretary, the branch representative to the Labour Party will record them at the selection conference. It is stated that the block vote or the individual ballot are the only alter- natives. The block-vote often fails to give satisfaction, and it is likely that a ballot vote may be the only way out of a serious difficulty. Then it would be as well to try and find out the simplest and cheapest methods of conduct- ing such ballots. The difficulty is that there is so much distrust of branch and executive officers. Mr. Sidney Webb in a footnote in ''In- dustrial Democracy," gives a quotation from Woodrow Wilson's (now President) book on Congressional Government," which in my opinion is worth bearing in mind: If there be one principle clearer than another it is: that in any business, whether of Government or mere merchandising, somebody must be trusted. Power and strict accountability for its use are the essential constituents of good government." With your permission I should like to place some alternative methods of selecting candi- dates, with a view to discussion and improve- ment on present methods:— (1) Ballot paper for every member of paid-up affiliated Societies. Facilities for ballot to be arranged by xecutive. Branches to obtain voting papers in bulk, and to be responsible for proper distribution. The Executive to make arrange- ments for counting votes which must bo-sent in by members at their own expense, authenticated by name and address to the Executive. (2) Put the responsibilty upon the Branches for conducting the ballot properly. To deliver the papers to each member, and to receive such voting papers back within definite fixed hours from members in person. To meet the conveni- ence of members who cannot attend to record their vote, such members be allowed to send their votes by post to the place or address where the counting is to take place, authenti- cated by their name and address. Only votes received by personal attendance, and posted up, to the timp of close of poll to be counted. <3) The branches to call special meetings noti- fying when candidates are to be voted for. The votes to be taken in any manner that each branch may decide at that meeting. The num- bers must be recorded for each candidate and declared at that meeting and sent to the Exe- cutive. No branch to be allowed to return a block-vote (the whole of its members) unless such would come about by carrying out the fore- going conditions. The Executive must then count the votes from all branches recording the votes for each candi- date, and publish such results by printing suffi- cient copies for branches, so that each one may test its accuracy. (1) The branches electing their representa- tives on the Labour Association, fully conscious that these representatives are to have full power in selecting tliQ candidate, should ascer- tain before the election the political and econo- mic principles (if any) which the candidates for the position hold. When necessary to take a card vote the branch representatives to have votes corresponding to numbers in branch. -R.D.
Theatre Royal
Theatre Royal Mr. and Mrs. Ernest Vaughan's Company occupy the hoards at the Theatre Royal, Mer- thyr, next week with one of Mrs. Kimberley's latest melodrama!, "A Spy in the Ranks." That the play is from the pen of Mrs. Kimberley, whose dramas Little Grey Home in the West" and "Pride of the Regiment" are well known to Merthyr audiences, is sufficient recom- mtmdation to playgoers partial to that kind of dramatic fare. Besides, it is presented hy an excellent cast, each character bpincr interpreted as it should, natural and unforced. Shortly, it is a show that should attract comfortable houses. This week the Li n do-Wn kef ord Repertoire Company concluded their fortnight's stay with a. trio of theatrical classics and incidentally added to their already marked reputation for versatility of portrayal. Their interpretation of Miss Marie Correlli's Sorrows of Satan," with which the week was opened, was given a de- servedly good reception, whilst no wit less popu- lar was their presentation of Camille." To- morrow (Friday) night they will submit Ibsen's great work, Ghosts."
The Electric Theatre
The Electric Theatre William Farnum stars at the Merthyr Electric Theatre on Monday in God's Children "-& powerful production, the strength of which lies in the remarkable simplicity of the story, strik- ing a note of appeal for the rights of the weak as against the strong. It tells how the career of an able and upright man was wrecked by the discovery by his enemies of bis "dark" ances- try, and how his partial descent from a coloured stock was death to all his ambitions and hopes of domestic happiness. With many fine settings, the picture is acted throughout with striking force by an able caste. The comic relief is pro- vided by one of the most recent of Sunshine re- leases, A Water Tangle," whilst the Judex serial is, in the current instalment, carried t* an arresting point in the fascinating mystery. On Thursday Charles Chaplin appears with Mabel Normand in six reels of glorious fun, "'lolly's Punctured Romance," a production by the Keystone people, with whom lie first made his big reputation. A Waiter's Wasted Life is another good farce, and in addition the pro- gramme will include the "Bull's Eye" serial and a. host of other fine pictures.
Advertising
County Borough of Merthyr Tydfil. WAR PENSIONS COMMITTEE. CLOTHIERS & OUTFITTERS in the County Borough are invited to submit samples with prices by Monday, the 2nd day of Decem- ber, 1918, of ready-made Working Clothes suit- able for Men discharged from His Majesty's Forces with a disability Pension, and who are re- suming Civil Employment. TREVOR THOMAS, Secretary. Victoria Chambers, Merthyr Tydfil.