Pioneer

MORGAN JONES TO YOU. TO THE EDITOR. Dear Comrade,—Will you allow me through the medium of the Pioneer to thank all com- rades within the Labour movement, as well as friends outside, for the generous measure of sympathy to which the gave expression during my recent detention by the military authorities, —a detention which I am happy to say came to an end on Saturday last. The readiness with which so many people-political friends and op- ponents alike—have shown their abhorrence of the petty and malignant spite displayed towards myself and others by those enjoying a (let us hope) brief spell of authority, has proved that the heart of the people is right. They still love free- dom, and hate oppression and persecution. And if, by the knowledge of my experiences, they have been enabled to see the danger that arises from the militarism within our own gates, I shall feel amply recompensed for the hard and bitter struggle of the last few years. The dangers that beset us are by no means removed. Eternal vigil- ance must still be the price of liberty! But I must not digress, I wrote primarily to express my gratitude to those who, through good report and ill, have honoured me with their con- fidence and the inestimable treasure of comrade- ship. Let me add a word for the "Pioneer." It is our paper. It has stood by the Labour cause in fair weather as in foul. It has striven to ad- vocate the cause of the minority—that much- abused section of the community which, in all ages, has to march with its Cross on its shoulder, amid the jeers of those who make no effort to understand. We are all grateful to the sturdy band of Labour and progressive journals which have kept their vision undimmed. We can—we mtist—show our gratitude by seeking to extend their influence in the days that are coming.— Yours fraetrnally, MORGAN JONES. 21 Park Crescent, Bargoed, August 5th, 1919.

BRITISH HELP TO INDIAN LABOUR. TO THE EDITOR. Dear Sir,—Allow me the hospitality of your columns to publicly thank Ashford No. 2 Branch of t-he National Union of Railway men and the West London Branch of the National League of ti i (- Blind for their donations of £ 1 and 10s. re- spectively towards the work of Trade Unionism and Labour uplift, I am doing in India. The first letter refers to the belief that the workers of the world have on cause the second speaks of the League's entire sympathy with the ob- jects of your unions." May I take this opportunity to appeal to all jects of I take tL'lls b :upr?-"U Zv ?w nizations an d Trade Unions, Labour Party organizations and other societies interested in the welfare of the workers, to copy the noble example of the two institutions and send to the above address such help as they can afford. It is not only sums of money, however, small, which are required, but also the moral support and sympathy which will contribute substantia.Ily towards the establish- ment of fraternal friendly relationship between the workers of East and West. Yours sincerely, .I- B. P. WADA, President of the Madras Labour Union. 1 Robert Street, Adelplii, London, W.C.2, August 1st, 1919.

The T heatre Royal That's the Thing," the swinging little musical revue that is playing at the Theatre Royal this week, has a charm of novelty, as well as excellent book and lyrics, and strong caste. I mentioned the novelty first because it is the rarest and most refreshing of entertainment fruits these days. Jack Marks as the demobbed and anxious for home "Oppitt" is the life and soul of the piece, though he owes much to his pal as played by Walter Langford, and to the rest of the male members of the company. Miss Maisie O'Connor, who, as Betty Fairfax. is the leading lady, is an entertainer who dis- plays great artistic perception as well as a real stage technique wedded to a personality all her own. With sixteen members.of the company, to say nothing of chorus a.nd supernumaries, all striving their excellent best to make the show go, it is invidious to single any out for treat- ment at the PXpeOise of the others, whom space prohibits from attention. Next week Mr. E. Vivian Edmonds, the play- wright, is bring his own company iu Coming Home," a melodrama of unusual power, in which Miss Gladys Ford Howitt is caste for the leading part. L am told that Coming Home" is dif- ferent from anything else that we have had here this year. That it is strong in its situations, and telling in its lines the name and fame of its author suggests. Altogether we should find "Coming Home" a pleasant change next week. PLAYGOER.

The Trade Union International. GERMAN MEMORANDUM OF RECRET. The first Congress of the old Trade Union In- ternational since the outbreak of war in 1914 is taking place in Amsterdam, under the presidency of M. Oudegeest, the President of the Dutch Federation of Trade Unions. The proceedings opened with a series of public preparatory sit- tings, in which thE liquidation of the old Inter- national was discussed, and, as was inevitable, the question of war responsibilities came into immediate prominence. M. Mertens, one of the Belgian delegates, delivered a passionate speech, in which lie protested against the attitude of the German Trade Union leaders during the war, and accused them of lack of courage in not open- ly protesting against the oppression of the Trade Unions by the Germans and against the deportation of Belgian workers. Arising out of this discussion, Herr Sassenbach handed in the following statement on behalf of the German delegates:— The German Trade Unions have always re- cognised that Germany acted wrongly in regard to Belgium. They always condemned the atro- cities of war committed during the German oc- cupation of Belgium. The deportation of Bel- gian workers was not done with the consent of the German workers, and as far as possible dur- ing the war we fought against it. The attitude of the German labouring classes at the outbreak of war and during the war was dictated by i, position of Germany. It was our conviction that Germany was fighting a defensive war, and that this was the general opinion in Germany is proved by the fact that the leaders of the Socialist and Independent Socialist movement took the same position at the outbreak of the war. The German labouring classes have always been opponents of war and of armaments, and have never as-sented to the imperialistic tenden- cies of the Government. If at the beginning of the war all had been known that is known now, if the labouring classes had not been misled and betrayed by the Government, the attitude of the German labouring classes and their leaders would have been different. If the German La- bour Movement had suspected that Germany was the aggressive power, then, without any doubt, it would have tried to prevent the war with every means in its power. We must recog- nise that the workers of other countries cannot appreciate or understand several of our actions during the war, but these acts were forced upon us by the heavy struggle being waged by the German nation. Now the truth is being brought home, and many tilings which we did under full conviction, should, it is clear, never have been done. All we did was done under the full conviction that right was on the side of the German people. At the outbreak of the war we tried to do our duty without wronging the la- bouring classes of other countries, and without failing in our own national obligations." A Commission was then appointed to consider this statement, the members of which were Messrs. Appleton (England), Gompers (Aemrica,), lohaux (France), Sassenbacli (Germany), Weber (Austria.), and Finman (Holland). This Commis- sion, after considering the matter, adopting the following resolution unanimously, Herr Sassen- baeh refraining from vot)ing:- The Commission having taken cognisance of the grievances formulated by the Belgian Trade Unions, the discussions following thereon, and the statements of the German delegation, con- sidering that the lij't ¡ f object of the ,Interna,- tional Trades Union congress at Amsterdam is the reconstruction of the Trade Union Interna- tional in such a way that a repetition of the acts like those which occurred in the period imme- diately preceding, and also during the war, will be impossible, registers the statements made in the name of the German delegation at the close of the discussions on July 26th, notes the senti- ments of regret expressed therein, and passes to the order of the day." The President then proposed that the report of the Commission should be adopted unani- mously by the entire Congress, which was agreed to. The disposal of this issue will have cleared the road for the reconstitution of the Trade Union International on more dependable lines, and the remaining sessions of the Congress will be largely devoted to this reconstructive work.

I Economic Conditions in Russia. I COMMERCIAL PAPER'S ADMIRINC I ARTICLE. Important evidence has at last begun to ap- pear in various commercial an d scientific jour- nals of the real state of the economic progress in Russia. The common picture of chaos and com- plete cessation of production had been already dispelled by the official white paper on Russia, with its figures of an average production of 50 and even 70 per cent, of normal in industry after industry, and even a marked improvement recorded in agriculture. Recently the economic supplement to the Foreign Press issued by the War Office General Staff published a striking article on Soviet Russia under the heading "Economic Conditions Improving," which- de- scribed something of the new enterprises set going by the Bolsheviks. And now Syren and Shipping," of all papers, has produced a long special article on Russian economics by a cor- respondent recently back from Russia, which disposes of many cherished illusions. It has been commonly held that the existence of food short- age in Russia, "The Granary of Europe," was a convincing demonstration of Bolshevik mis- rule. But "Syren and Shipping" has small mercy on this myth. The writer points out that even before the war Russia never exported from a net surplus, but tliat while one province might be exporting corn, another would be suf- fering from famine, and that the present condi- tions in Russia, have very little to do with the idiosyncrasies of the particular government in power, but depend mainly on the reckless policy of Tsardom during the war years in consuming and disorganising the resources of Russia, and also on the blockade preventing the usual im- portation of machinery and other necessary ma- teria ls. In proof of this he instances the condi- tions of the North Russian district, where a law and order" government has b\n set up, and where prices, etc., are not markedly differ- ent from those obtaining in Soviet Russia, save that the advantage sometimes lies with the lat- ter. Finally, thQ Economist," the leading economic and financial journal in the country, has just issued an elaborate account of the pre- sent system of production in Russia, which is the most useful description that has yet ap- peared on the detail working of the machinery of combined central organisation and workers' control, and which ends up with the amazing judgment that on the whole the vast mechan- ism works well." The Soviet system is clearly showing signs, in the eyes of these experts, of making good," and it is not surprising that the militarists are raising such a clamour at present to smash it before the eyes of thq world arc opened to the facts.

Winstone at Merthyr Vale. LABOUR CANDIDATE'S ENTHUSIASTIC RECEPTION. THE MINER AND NATIONALISATION. One of the largest and most enthusiastic La- bour meetings ever held in Merthyr Vale took place last Tuesday evening under the auspices of the Merthyr Trades Council and Labour Party—under the very able chairmanship of Ald. Enoch Jones, who in his opening remarks ap- pealed for unity among the industrial and poli- tical Labour forces in the borough so that vic- tory might be assured for the Labour Party at the next election. In introducing the speaker, he said in Aid. James Winstone, J.P., they had a man of ster- ling worth, one who had never wavered in con- tending for the rights of the people. (Hear, hear.) He had unbounded confidence in Mr. Winstone and was assured he would fill any position with judgment, ability and credit to the borough. (Hear, hear.) Aid. James Winstone. J.P. in taking the platform was received with applause; he thank- ed the chairman for his very kind remarks and assured them he had no purpose to serve, than to promote the best interests of that important industrial borough. He was there as the La- bour candidate under the auspices of the Mer- thyr Labour Party, and wanted to say a few words on the failure of the Coalition Govern- ment, of which Sir Edgar Jones was a member. It was well within their knowledge as intelli- gent, active citizens that they had been assured that if they returned the Coalition candidate to Parliament there would be no Conscription, in fact, the Government had been, out to fight and destroy conscription, and had succeeded—in Ger- many. In fact, the Prime Minister himself had wrote in December last: "It is not only not true—it is a calculated and deliberate false- hood to say a vote for the Coalition is a vote for Conscription." But by April of 1919, five months after the above statement by the Prime Minister a Conscription Act was passed by the Coalition votes; which will cost the people of this country an enormous sum of money an- nually. I have no hesitation in saying that to have passed such a measure was a deliberate betrayal of the people. The position to-day is that boys who had enlisted for the duration of the war, had been sent to Russia, some when they were not in a physically fit state to be anywhere ex- cept at Home with their relatives, and should be receiving a very substantial pension. Unless we abolish conscription we shall become a nation of slaves and shall have begun to prepare for another war. INTERVENTION IN RUSSIA. It would seem that Mr. Churchill has made up his mind to have another gamble with human lives. He is still supporting intervention. It was clearly stated that we went to war for the principle of "Self determination." But what of Ireland? Why not self-determination for that little island across the sea ? Why should we keep sixty thousand troops to govern there, why not let such an intelligent people work out their own social salvation by their own method of Government? I have been taken to task by some newspapers for making the following statement: "The sol- dier boys who had enlisted in the Army for the duration of the war were sent to Russia to de- fend vested interests. It is estimated that there is to-day invested in Russia £ 1,600,000,000 of European capital, most of it British. There are three Members of the British Government with financial interests there." Sir Eric Geddes said in reply to a telegram to one of the daily papers: Suggestions you men- tion absolutely untrue." Now, what are the facts? And, indeed, they are very illuminating, and can be verified by the Somerset House Records :— SISSERT MINING CO. Shares. Date. Rt. Hon. A. Cliaiiibei-lain 1000 Aug. 4, 1914 1000 Dec. 30, 1916 1000 May 8, 19lq ANGLO-RUSSIAN TRUST. Rt. Hon. Walter Long 500 Apr. 9, 1912 3000 Dec. 31, 1918 KYSHTIM CORPORATION. The Right Hon Sir Auckland Geddes 300 Jan. 2, 1919 Right Hon. Sir Eric Geddes 440 Jan. 2, 1919 The last two have taken their shares after the war with Germany was ended, and when the British Government was openly treating the Russian Government- as an enemy. Now, I say that the Coalition Government is dominated with men who defend vested interests and unless the British people are prepared to deal sternly with them, then vested interests will do Britain an irreparable injury. A very serious attempt is now being made to place the financial burden of the war on the workers and lower middle classes. The pre-war income-tax exemption limit was £160, on which 1/3 on every pound above was paid. Now OH every pound above £ 120 when a person earns ovei- tl30 lie has to pay 2/3 in the pound, I say it is manifestly unfair to call upon any person to pay "income tax until he is able to pro- vide adequately for the home comforts of him- self, wife and family. A deputation met the Chancellor of the Exchequer on July 4th last and asked him to fix the exemption limit at £ 250 and thereby restore to some extent the pre-war standard of life, but he was adamant although if we take the pre-war limit of exemp- tion at tl60 and take the increase in the cost of living since that period it would want an ex- emption limit of t320 to place a person in the same relative position as he was before the war. INCREASED COST OF LIVINC AND I PROFITEERS. The Coalition Government has failed to deal with these people. It is true they boast of prosecuting about 6,000 small business men, one might say sometimes persecuting them, but what of the trusts and combines. Here are some of the reasons why clothing is so dear. Here is a sample: Wool and cotton goods, profits in 1914, Id. per pound; in 1918, 4/3 per pound. Another case: 1914, Id. a pound; 1918, 7/6 a pound. The Yorkshire Observer," after ex- amining a spinner and manufacturer's firms bal- ance sheet, state Profits before the war, jEI.621 fourth year of war, k,39,620 (after paying excess profit duty super-tax and income tax)." This has been taken from the consumer, and is one of the strongest reasons why the people should exercise more interest and power in de- termining their own lives. (Hear, hear, and ap- plause.) NATIONALISATION OF MINES. I It is well known that there is an association formed to try to oombat this object; but one would think they would be cheeked by the re- sult of the Labour Victory in Scotland, where the coalowners' Coalition Liberal candidate, who made Nationalisation the issue, was overwhelm- ingly defeated by Labour. Some part of tha- work of this Association was to issue leaflets, I I am informed two such leaflets have been issued. One to business men saying Nationalisation will ruin them, because miners wages will rise. One to workmen saying Nationalisation will ruin them because their wages will not rise. They surely cannot have it both ways. It is all a game to deceive the people and to bolster up the present system which Justice Sankey and ten of thirteen Commissioners say, in their first report: Even upon the evidence already given, the present system of ownership and i working in the Coal Industry stands condemned, and some other system must be substituted for $ it, either Nationalisation or a method of u niifica- tion by national purchase and, or by joint con- trol," and in his second report Justice Sankey says: I recommend on the evidence before me that the principle of State Ownership of the Coal Mines be accepted." It seems clear that the Coalition Government want to stampede the people by increasing the price of Coal by 6/- per ton, when there is no necessity. They bring a statement to the House asking for 6/ Mr. Holmes, a chartered ac- countant, reduces it to 2/6, and still leaves 7d. a ton mining royalities not touched. With proper organisation in the mine, a sup- ply of materials, a pulling together in the Na- tion's interest, I have no fear of the future, and under Nationalisation and joins control there will be a plentiful supply of coal. It is pretty certain the royalty owners and the profit receivers will not be allowed to make 1:162,000,000 during the next five years as they have during the war, or t27,000,000 more than their £ 135,000,000 invested capital. (Hear, hear.) As miners we stand to protect the British public and we are going to do it. (Loud ap- plause.) If this nation has to be saved, let it be saved for the whole people, not for a few of the people, then the more coal produced, the more wealth produced, the more for the whole people. I stand for a higher standard of life for the peo- ple, with an opportunity for all to develop all that is noblest and best in them. The establish- that is iii)b l est an d best C ?*n mnionNA-ea, l t l i w h erein ing of a Co-operative Commonwealth wherein the child shall have every chance of being nur- tured into and of developing into the fullness of life and becoming real men and women, and wherein the old veteran of industry shall be in the natural order assured a glorious sunset un- dimmed by the blackening shadows of the work- house. (Loud applause.) Let us therefore cast off fooling, the old indus- trial system is passing, let us usher in the new with intelligence and the \assary restraint. The world is groaning under the burdens and aftermath of war. Let us play our part in bring- ing in a stable peace, by putting on the whole armour of rightmindedness and having our feet shod with the gospel of truth and our minds de- termined to stand for the principle and applica- tion of peace at home and abroad, for only by so doing can be hope to save Britain. (Great cheering.) Mrs. Andrews, the Labour Party organiser. gave an excellent address on the waste of child- life in Britain and the place of the woman in the Labour Movement. Votes of thanks to the speakers and chairman terminated a very successful meeting.

I Relief for Vienna Hospitals. There are already signs that the bitterness en- gendered in the various belligerent countries during the war is being tempered by general human suffering, and efforts are being made to restore normal interest in and sympathy with those agencies and services whose activities are devoted to the alleviation, cure, or prevention of physical disability. A notable instance is to be found in an appeal to the public and the medical profession issued on behalf of the Vienna hospitals by Mr. Butier (head of the American Mission), Dr. Hector Munro (Repre- sentative of Save the Children Fund), and others. They state that "during the past hun- dred and fity years successive generations of doctors of all nationalities have received their training in the Vienna City hospitals, and the patient and thorough research work which has been conducte d there throughout thilit period has had results the value of which and importance of which it would be difficult to over estimate." They state that the contrast between the posi- tion of he Vienna Medical School before the war and its position now is both startling and tragic. "War was terrible, with its wounded and its invalids, its series of epidemics and infectious disease, typhoid, dvsentry, spotted fever and cholera. All these diseases reduced the popula- tion and enfeebled those wlio remained. Tuber- culosis has developed into a deadly and acuto disease.

I In Defence of Bolshevism. 1 CQlttOSITORS' ACTION IN YUCO SLAVIA. I The Socialist Party and the Yugo-Slav General Confederation of Labour, at a recent Congress in Belgrade decided on energetic action against the lies circulated about Bolshevism. Tn view of this the compositors' trade unions are using their power to prevent newspapers from publish- ing calumniating information about the Russian Soviet Republic. Already in Spalato, Sarajevo and Agrain no papers publish such calumnies. In Belgrade and other important Yugo-Slav towns the bourgeois papers have also been obliged to refrain from publishing falsehoods, and in Sarajevo "The Bell," a so-called Social- it paper, though really r ationalist in tendency, I has been compelled to cense publication.

Welsh Railway Clerks. I The South Wales and Monmouthshire Divisional Council of the Railway Clerks' Asso- ciation held a special meeting at Cardiff on Wed- nesday,- when a resolution was passed stating that the meeting, representing twenty branches and 3,159 members, expressed its deep indigna- tion at the delnys and evasions of the Railway Executive Commitjpe in dealing with the na- tional programme ot the association, and calling upon the executive immediately to end the pro- tracted negotiations with the Railway Execu- tive Committee, and to convene a special confer- ence to decide upon proper action for securing joint consideration of their demands.

WELSH LEAGUE AT MERTHYR. 1 A meeting of the Welsh League committee was held at Penydarren Park on Wednesday, Mr. J. a Watts Jones (Swan^fc) presiding. Considers tion was given to an application by Cwmparc for 1 admission to the First Division, but having re- gard to the decision of the clubs at the last general meeting the committee felt that they could not overrule that decision. The League will, therefore, remain with sixteen clubs. An application from Barry to play two matches on one day was refused.

furnishing trades lock-out has now begun, and is as national in scope as the organisation of the masters can make it. The immediate cause of the lock-out is a demand for standardisation of wages over the whole country, which has been refused without negotiation by the Manchester employers, who have long revelled in cheap la- bour, and the result is a general lock-out. The furnishing trades employers, however, have been spoiling for a lock-out for years, and this time it is likely to be a fight to a finish. Our readers may remember that when, at the beginning of last year, Manchester furnimrfe men were on strike, the other members of the employers' federation, while professing to take no part, sent round an appeal for funds on the ground that Manchester is fighting a battle for the whole trade." Apparently Manchester is to do it again. ENGINEERING. I 1 lie situation in tne engineering and slnp- building world is also developing towards a crash. The employers have practically refused to negotiate on any points unless the demand for the forty-four hour week is withdrawn for one or two years. Since the miners have secured a seven-hour day, and many other industries are negotiating upon a 44-hour week, the engineers have naturally refused to agree, and a big engi- neering lock-out is a possibility. It is suggested that here again the employers would not be un- willing to see a general lock-out. SO EXPENSIVE TO BE ALIVE. I The cost of living is going up again. Even the "Labour Gazette" admits it, and the figures given hy Sir Robert Home in Parliament sug- gest tbit it is leaping up very high indeed. Ac- cording to the Minister of Labour, boots have gone up 200 per cent., men's suits 170 per cent., cotton piece goods 2»0 per cent., and woollen underwear nearly 300 per cent. On top of this we learn that gold-producers are going to de- mand more for their gold, on account of the in- creased wages they have to pay to the labour which gets it.