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LABOUR'S BIG FIGHT !

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LABOUR'S BIG FIGHT A Win All Round Means A Labour Majority. I Workers Optimistic In All Wards. I The Only Danger—One of Apathy. The progress of the elections in the six 11erthyr Wards in which contests are being Avaged for possession of scats on the Council, has this week stimulated the op- timism with which Labour entered the fight. Nothing but laxity on the part of Labour supporters in taking too much for granted and refraining from exercising the iranchise on Saturday call defeat us in any "()lie of the seats. A significant index to the Coalitions Tealisation of Labour's rapidly growing strength and determination is to be found -in the number of independent (?) working ttien candidates who have been put forward -to fight the authorised candidates of La- bour. As a device for splitting Labour, this particular one has served its purpose admirably in the past. But since the days ^f the old contests of pre-war days the eyes 'Df thousands of workers have been opened wide to the reality of facts, and in all the 'Yards where this old camouflage is being attempted there is a strong feeling of soli- darity to Labour principles and policy Manifesting itself, that augurs well for the burial of this hoary old fraud tactic so far 3s the Merthyr borough is concerned. So far as the active work in the wards is Concerned it has taken the form of a steady -lid persistent canvass in which the candi- dates themselves have endeavoured to make a personal call on the burgesses to give 'them an opportunity of questioning them Personally on their views and policy, and .n the holding of street and indoor meet- ngs, at which a host of effective workers, deluding amongst many other eminent trades union leaders—Messrs. Noah Ablett (the Merthyr miners' agent), and S. O. Da- vies (Dowlais miners' agent)-have briefly dealt with the necessity for and purpose of Labour representation from a multitude of angles, and at which the candidates them- selves have elaborated their views and sub- mitted themselves to the questioning of anyone who cared to address their difficul- ties to them. Both meetings and canvassers have wonderfully enheartened all con- ■cerned. Probably the three keenest fights arc going to be in Park, Cyfarthfa and Merthyr Vale. In Park the sitting member, Mr. H. M. Lloyd, is striving to retain his seat against Mr. T. J. Evans, an ex-Park La- bour member; and the issue is complicated by the candidature of Mr. Sam Davies. As 'the residential ward of a large section of ^ferthyr's middle-class population, Park Probably presents more difficulties to La- bour than any other district in the town, but a careful canvass has convinced the Workers that the Labour candidate is going to poll more than both his opponents to- gether. The candidate is Mr. T. J. Evans. In Cyfarthfa, Mr. John Williams, the Labour member, is called upon to fight Mr. Sen Jones, an independent ex-postman candidate whom the opposition have in- "duced to stand. Here the fight will be fairly keen because both men arc popular person- -alities in their area, but the excellent work that Mr. Williams has contributed as a councillor during the past year is telling in his favour. The big thing, however, that is being recognised is that "independence" is a meaningless word in municipal politics. A member must be either for- or against the Labour policy, and when the opposition is to a Labour candidate it is easy to write against over his probable course of action in the chamber if returned. Consequently. :\1r. Jones' working-class' status is not Making for anything, and the canvass shows a strong movement towards the duly accredited, democratically selected Labour ,candidate inir. John Williams. In Merthyr Vale the possibilities of a win are more' evenly balanced. Mr. Thomas Williams, the retiring candidate, has had a long turn of office, and Labour as a political clement having only recently began to thoroughly organise itself there— there is a bare possibility that possession of the seat may just weigh down the scale in the favour of the retiring member. This is not the view of the workers on the spot. They are working hard for a bumper win for Mr. J. W. Watkins, and are confident that short of gross- treachery and supineness 011 the part of known Labour workers they are going to achieve their end. The vote -of everv trades unionist in Merthyr Vale should be cast for the Labour Party—for the winning of this seat is absolutely neces- sary to the Party if it is to have the clear working majority of one that success in every poll on Saturday will give it. In Penydarren where there is a triangular contest between Mr. Lewis Jones (South Wales Miners' Federation) representing La- bour, Mr. Nelson M. Price and Mr. John Davies-the outcome is regarded as a cer- tainty for Labour. This is the liveliest con- test of all. In Dowlais Mr. Dai Davies (Pant) seeks to retain the Labour seat against Mr. David Jones and Albert Henry Minchinton-and here again no change is anticipated. bL ¡ In Town Ward, Mr. J. E. Jones (N.U.R. —Labour) is fighting a great fight against Mr. D. Cope Harris, and the workers pro- phecy a big ballot that will be overwhelm- ingly Labour. Mr. J. E. Jones will be a strong man on the Labour benches for the next three years. Of the eight seats to have been contested in the Merthyr elections two have fallen, without opposition, to Labour representa- tives. The unopposed candidates are Mr. Enoch Morrell, J.P., Troedyrhiw, agent to the Taff and Cynon Miners, and chairman of the Merthyr Education Authority, and Mr. Andrew Wilson, J.P., Treharris. To gain a majority of one on the town council it will he necessary for Labour to win all the remaining six seats contested. Of the re- tiring members, Mr. William Lewis (Peny- 'darren Ward) and Mr. Gomer L. Thomas, J.P. (Town Ward) are not seeking re-elec- tion.. The ex-service men are running two Il' candidates. Nominations were received on Friday, and Saturday saw the withdrawal from the contests of Mr. Richard Lloyd ■ from the Cyfarthfa Ward and Mr. David Evans from the Town Ward. Both came forward in the Independent colours and their fall out leaves a straight issue in each of these two wards between the Labour and Coalitionist candidates. Those who go to the poll arc Dowlais Ward.—David Davies (Lab.), railway signalman, 5 Pant Cad, Ivor-street, Dowlais; David Jones (Co.), builder, Mae- log House, Cross Ivor-terrace, Dowlais; Al- bert Henry Minchinton (D.S. and S.), post- man, 1, Regent-street, Dowlais. x Penydarren Ward.—Lewis Jones (Lab.), miner, 51, Bronheulog, Merthyr; John Davis (Ind.), draper, 8, Tynycocd-terrace, Penydarren; and Nelson Harris Price (D.S. and S.), colliery shotsman, 2 Broad-street. Dowlais. Park Ward.—*Henry Morgan Lloyd (Coalitionist), chemist, The Walk, Merthyr; Thomas John Evans (Lab.), miner, 4 Cara- doc-street, Merthyr; Samuel Davies (Ind.), tailor, 19, The Avenue, Merthyr. Cyfarthfa Ward.—*John Williams (Lab.), miner, 9, Pantycelynen, Heolgerrig; Ben- jamin Jones (Coalitionist), retired postman, i-Sa, John-street, Merthyr. Town Ward.—David Cape Harris (Coali- tionist), grocer and provision merchant, 1, King Edward-villas, Merthyr; John Ed- ward Jones (Lab.), railway signalman, o, William -street, Merthyr. Merthyr Vale Ward.—*Thomas Williams (Coalitionist), mining engineer, Troedyrhiw House Mountain Ash; John William Wat- kin (Lab.), colliery checkweigber, 26, Car- diff-road, Merthyr Vale. There will be no contests here Treharris Ward. An drew Wilson (Lab.), miner, 4, Brynteg-place, Treharris. Plymouth Ward.—* Enoch Morrell (Lab. miners' agent, 3 Brynhyfryd-villas, Troed- yrhiw. :igiiifies Retiring member.

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