Pioneer

The Labour Alliance. A PLEA FOR ITS RETENTION. I By THOMAS THOMAS I Ike reprehensible attitude of a few Labour leaders during the war has engendered a natu- ral feeling or repugnance in the minds of I-L.Peers. To find representatives of Labour violating the constitution of the Labour Party bÿ accepting positions in a Coalition Govern- ment, and to find others supporting a measure for enforced military service hatched in Jingo ncllbato.lCB is enough to drive the most sanguine ?' despair, The formation and growth ofl ? Labour Party has entailed so much sacrince, ?Hotencv for good is so immeasurable, that %d its leaders dallying with its instinctive ?ies is abhorrent to those who are more j.?,?rned with the welfare ef the movement, S?an with obliging militarists in their outra- gtfc-us demands. But despite the defection of its leaders, the Labour movement must still be judged by the principles which govern its existence, by the measure of its success, and by its potential capacity for future good. That I.L.Peers feel sore and bitter at the prostitution of their ideals by political place- seekers is legitimate, that they should advocate the severance of the Labour Alliance because of the back-sliding of a few is foolish. The merits or de-merits of a movement is not necessarily determined bv the action of its adherents, otherwise Christianity, Co-operation, and even Socialism itself would stand self-condemned. A movement stands or falls according to the sta- bility of its foundation, not on the bats which shelter beneath its eaves. If the Labour Alli- ance has been established* on a firit-i basis, then to tamper with its foundations is not the pro- per method of rectifying its deficiencies. One does not cut off a foot to remove a corn. If the critics who advocate cutting the knot Ilieli unites the Labour Party and the Inde- pendent Labour Party, hardly anyone finds fault with the constitution of the Alliance. Strictures are levelled at the abuse of the Constitution. The Labour Alliance was formed for a speci- fie purpose; when that purpose will have been attained. it will then be proper to agitate for a cleavage, but until that object is achieved, it were better to endeavour to remedy its de- fects rather than render it impotent bv taking from -it the nutriment of its growth. The I.L.P. is unquestionably the political soul of the Labour Party, and although the cumbersome weight of the larger body is often irksome, ir- ritating and difficult to bear. yet through the Alliance is the "promised land'' of industrial, social and political salvation the more easily acceptable. No critic of the Labour Party oan deny that since its inception the Party has made progress. True, the war threatens to annul much of its past attainments, and render impotent its present efficacy, but then the war has also transformed many of the clean-cut, re- volutionary Socialists into Jingo reactionaries. For any I.L.Peer, therefore, to advocate the secession of the I.L.P. from the Labour party because some of the leaders have gone astray is rather ironical. Better to clear one's own house before attempting to clean the house of one's neighbours. This lesson Mr. Russell Williams should take to heart. At the Annual Dviisional Conference at Merthyr on Saturday last, he expatiated at great length on the iniquity of Labour leaders, and with much adroit sophistry tried to justify the withdrawal of the I.L.P. from the Labour Party. His words failed to carry conviction simply because he dealt with abuses, and not with inherent defects. o delegate would resent the severest condemnation of renegade Labour politicians, and had Mr. Williams sug- gested a method of punishing these individuals, without- resort to constitutional upheaval, his remarks would have carried more conviction this he did not attempt, with the result that his eloquence was wasted. To advocate secession in a constituency so closely associated with the memory of Mr. Keir Hardie did not strengthen his case — for to Mevthyr's late Parliamentary representative is mainly due the credit of the foirination of the Alliance and his opinion on the subject is re- corded in the t^ords "Those who are seeking to disrupt it (the Labour Party) or to intro- duce discord into its ranks, however well in- tention, ed they may be, are enemies, not only of the Labour movement, but of the cause of Socialism which they profess to hold so dear. There is too much of my life builded into the party for me to treat it lightly, or its continued progress as n: thing of no consequence. I shall end my political career as I began it. by rais- ing the old slogan < Workers of the world unite; you have all to gain, and nothing to lose out your chains. Mr. Hardie';s heart was grievously stricken before he died at thQ apostacy of the Hodges and' Roberts, but who dare assert that he would deny the child of his bosom because of unfaithful nurses P The movement was to him.—as it should be to every other Soeialilst—far more than the men who comprise it. Moreover, what justification has any I.L.Peer to condemn the Alliance after the vobn of the London. Congress on Conscrip- tion? Should Mr. Williams attain his object, would he then proceed to advocate another cleavage within the I.lT.P.? If he bases his opposition to the Labour Party on the defec- tion of Trade Union leaders on the war and on Conscription, then, to be consistent, lie would have to continue the fight into his own camp. The war has divided the best ordered organisa- tions it has brought schism into every prog- ressive movement. This is to be deplored, but it cannot be remedied by ill-timed and ill- judged resolutions and reforms. He wants a purely I.L.P. organisation, unshackled by Lib- Labs. who are after the loaves and fishes of a Liberal plutocracy, but organisation of a purelv Socialist character have defected oe- cause of the war Mr. Joseph Burgess is so dissatisfied with the of the I.L.P. at present that lie is busily engaged in forming another Socialist party. It is also to bp feared that a withdrawal of the I.L.P. from the Labour Party would just suit the ticket of the leaders who toady to the military and reactionary leaders of Liberalism. They have always been Liberal at heart, and have ated t the ?training clauses of the Lab- -?c.e. What is needed is to purge the T??hour p?y of all its Hodges and Roberta 1'1' r".y 0 a Its .ocges anc ;'v ,-), n (-I I",? ? he done without breaking the J\ lapce De 't h .t d f th A?nl- arK? Despite the unnoDU?.r altitude of the  n O"tI Tl.Tii.J P• (T airing the ?. converts are coming in ? by ?,hp thou?nds, a d when t?e future will have n.stined their adhe?noe to princjpe, and the worker w?I have sobered from their orgy of patriotism, short shrift will be made of false leaders p

PRINTING SENT TO PRIVATE COMPANIES means Profit for Individual Owners. When WE do your work, the Profit comes in the PROPAGATION OF SOCIALISM AND TRADES UNIONISM. Think it Over!

Conscience. YESTERDAY, TO-DAY AND TO-MORROW. O Socrates tkcJu immortal voice from the past: sage, whose mind perceived thmgs ob- literated from common gaze; thy great ideals which thou didst uphold even unto death, has at last been decreed as "sot" by the educated race of the 20th Century With one accord the populace, incited to madness by the drums of Armageddon, proclaim thou hast died in vain, thou has sacrificed thy life for nought and vanity. Thy stand for freedom of thought, which has beeti praised throughout the last two thousand years, has, in a fit of insanity, been cast upon the scrap-heap of unprogressive actions—they who formerly sang your eulogy, now confess their previous blindness, and think they have merged into the realm of eternal light. How we imagine your heart would throb on beholding this change; yet we know that unenlightened minds and ordinary spirits do not feel or reason on these things, like men of higher cultivation and profounder thought. Thou, who didst arrive at the conclusion that man's soul was dedicated to be the supreme governer of man's actions, didst bequeath to mankind a heritage treasured through the ages, and now to be surrendered for the proverbial "mess of pottage offered by Moloch. Genera- tions have passed since thy martyrdom, and each, in its burn, has acknowledged that thou alone waist in the light, and all thy fellow- countrymen otherwise. On that memorable oc- casion—oft related by father to son-thou re- fusedst to allow thy conscience to be fully dominated by the national requirements, thy persecutors desired thy principles to be merged in national interests, but thou didst not bend thy soul to their endeavours. Beyond the thres- hold of thy conscience public opinion held no tyrannical sway, and posterity applauded and honoured thy name. Judgment was passed on thy stand, and na- tions unanimously acknowledged thy seemingly insignificant self to have been unrighteously consigned to the dungeon, from which thou didst eventually emerge — covered bv a funeral I)aJ.I! An individual right. a nation wrong, was the verdict of mankind, and follow- ing in their path, thousands have since been persecuted and many nominated martyrs and saints, for similar stands.. Even when thy doctrine appeared in the ac- cepted code of man, history is fraught with in- stances where the rulers—spiritual and tem- poral—have laid down certain impositions, to limit man's freedom of thought, and the pro- tests of many victimised have awakened the welkin with cries of agony, extorted from the clench lips of tortured men, cries thank God, which have been heeded by their fellow-crea- tres, struggling for the enlightenment of man, J and Had no voice been raised Against injustice, ignorance and lust, The inquisition yet would serve the law, And guillotines decide our least disputes." Yet, humanity's debt to the bygone victims of callous rulers remains unpaid. Their efforts have been futile! Society, even of the so-called most civilised nations, returns to the thoughts prevalent at thy time, 0 Sage of Athens! Free- dom of individual conscience shall be no more! Future historians will not applaud thy stand for its sanctity. Thy death will be marked by the abhorred comment, Failure! Large portions of our inheritaace of poetry will be labelled as "the amazing doctrines of a bygone age." The future religion of man will be founded on slavery, and its dectrines drawn up by the apostles of Mars. For they, in their philosophy, maintain that man must ever be a slave. Their martial empires have been reared by slavery, like those of Babylon, Greece and Rome. To them the slave is a perpetual essential, for in their wisdom they cannot presume the even- tual replacing of human slavery by the inani- mate slavery, begotten of man's inventive geni. us. They require the human slave to rear edi- fices of pomp and grandeur, which ultimately will return to the dust from which they were erected. The rightful inheritance of man, found in the accumulated literature of the world, they would selfishly keep out of the hands of lawful heirs, for progress shall be no more! and the populace assent. Assent? Yes, for they know not what they do. Inebriate, brain-befogged man now plays into the hands of the joyful apostles of Mars, and places in their strong arms the cherished liberties of the ages. Those who. like thyself, refuse to allow their inner selves to be dominated by the laws of national expediency, are described to-day as traitors to the race. Thank heaven the number of recalcit- rants is by no means insignificant. They are fighting for what thou didst lay down thy life, and for which thou didst receive the ap- probation of followers from generation to gene- ration They who fought thy fight are simi- lai- I-- calied upon to conform with the national voice, and the fight is not yet o'er. Long have we been taught not to accept as ff- infallible principle the abhqrrent doctrine, 1. light is right"; yet to-day the lesson is beng unfolded in our midst. Thev who raised tIllS erry. a,gainst the enemy now attempt to ün!orce it e at ) strongly we oobhjiepcptt. Wwi-TM i ri-ghi t triumph ? I fondly ask: But Patience to prevent That murmur, soon replies," that looming on the not ?- distant horizon IS the III e,d 3V mfiV' which w? -? ?encStb?avoT?' ?? 'W ? yoke' "P? the ,IlI o? the peopl1° e fig-htmg for the right of ■ilfiberfty for individual fconnnsarc.iieAnMcn e-> Hsadvance, hhrowweevve. r, sh? ?f?? ?c-ience. Its Idvanc? howm:e!" shall not go unimpeded. An united opposition must be substituted for the previous guerilla method of spasmodic opposition, if we desire to see the people free from the oppr?es? s?ve thrall of might, which could then record One more devil's triumph, and sorrows for angels ?Sod? mW'e to ?"- one ?ore insult to God. For insult of hypocrisy must be the verdict on the present attitude of the Prussians in our nuast when we recognise the great stress h,id upon the righteousness of our present ca?npa This postulate of righteousness can be sUbStl- tSiated by Jt? he seeming failure of mio-ht » syj.tibolis ?,d-bvoil cf the Germanic forces. Thus, morality is 1?, i ingly discerned m this sihfe. 'rherefore, in th"ijs wai—which we assume to be ri^' W' v „ without taking into consideration ?S ?hou? of those who question t.hi1due regard ought to be given to the individual conscience of ?e j people concerned, or else their cry of ri" eousness becomes invalid. Woe betide the day m the life of any nation in which its public men have not the courage to sacrifice place and popularity at the call of conscience." Happiiy we have had, and have, Happily we have had, and have, such whose flesh does not shrink from seconding their sftuls, a.nd they stentoriousl^ raise their voices in endeavouring to maintain the last vestiges of liberty, not yet filched from us by the "Prussian Evangel- ists" in oui amidst. For they, paradoxically, are fighting against that which they admire most, and are only seeking the opporinmity in the future of emulating German methods, and thus pouring flattery upon the European slave drivers. We exhort the people those who have not lost, their full right to the name of CI-ii,.istiai-is-- whose worth is not measured by hfind observ- ance to national desires and conformity with public opinion—not always right opinion to rally to the aid of those fighting strenuously for the sanctity of the human soul, so that futurity, reviewing this crisis, shall not write: The devil laughed at them, in his sleeve, They knew not. That we well believe." T. G. WILLIAMS.

Jelly Backed Christianity. A SUGGESTIVE SERMON. A Short Sermon on the following Text for use in any pulpit, without charge. And my people are bent to backsliding from Me, though tticy oal-I them to Him that is on High, none at all will exalt Him.-Hosa, 11, 7. (R.V.). Every man's back in normal conditions is supposed to contain a stiffening of bone, called the spinal column, which enables a man to stand firm and straight. If the man is at all strong, it requires a heavy burden on the shoulders to make him bend. This should be reproduaed in the character. When faced by difficulties in connection with our every-day life, a man should have enough bone in his composition to enable him to make a finn stand for right and truth at all costs—even at the sacrifice of his liberty—and life itself, if need should arise. But, alas! how true is it that a large percent- age of people to-day have scarcely any bone in them at all, when faced with any problem that threatens to upset their easy-going life; they bend and twist and wriggle like a fish on a hook; they seem to be all jelly and no bone, and they are ready and willing to sacri- fieeall, their opinions and beliefs, however sac- red they may be, rather than suffer a little in- convenience or persecution, or even being laughed at. They cannot stand alone, they are not Daniels by any means, but they run with the multitude, whichever way that goes, they don't care as long as they are on the side which appears to be the biggest and strongest at the time; and will readily sacrifice all their principles rather than stand alone. This is es- pecially prevalent among professing Christians to-day. This war has been the greatest test of modern times that the Orthodox Christian has had to face. So many have fallen under the test that it is refreshing to hear of a man who has enough bone in him to stand firm for his belief, even before that great assembly, the House of Parliament. In the debate on the Compulsion Bill last week, Mr. Edmund Har- vey said: We feel bound to follow in the letter and the spirit the teaching of Christ— not to return evil for evil, but to endeavour to love even our enemies." If every professing Christian in the various countries which are now at war had been as true and faithful to the teachings of Christ as this, what effect would it have had P The answer is plain there would have been no war. The number of professing Cliristians-incliq,ding the crowned heads—is so large in all countries that it would have been an impossibility to carryon the war if they had refused to take up arms against their brothers, and had stood firmly by the teachings of the Carpenter's Son. And instead of fomenting hat- red towards their fellows, had carried out that noble precept, "Love your enemies." But, from the highest to the lowest, from archbishop to miner, from Kaiser to peasant, we find that the great majority to-day a,re jelly-backed Christians, who prefer to shout with the multi- tude. "Crucify HimT Crucify" Him which they find much easier than suffering with Him in the Garden of Gethsamane. And, oh how in an- times have they crucified Him r Verily, in the words of the Apostle, they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put Him to an open shame." How different is the stand taken by these men to-day to that taken by Christ, Who, when He was reviled, reviled not again, and although, as He himself said, He had power to call upon a legion of angels to come to His assistance when attacked, yet He refused to do so; but when smitten on the one cheek. He turned the other also. When Peter took upon himself to defend Him with the sword, He commanded him to replace it in its sheath, and immediately exercised a spirit of love towards His enemy by healing the wound which the sword had made. When the climax of His life was reached, and His enemies had succeeded in placing Him on the Cross, suspended between heaven and earth as though He was worthy of neither of them, even then we find him breathing out love and foregiven-ess towards his enemies, praying, "Fa- ther, forgive them; they know not what they do." But whoce is the spirit of love to-day? Dead! says the observant man of the world. We ex- pect to see it demonstrated by the professing C,hr, st, an-tnd what do we find? Nearly every denomination and pulpit to-day, instead of fostering the spirit of love towards men, is feverishly adopting and propounding a spirit of hatred, and inciting men to slay their bro- thers, making widows and orphans by thous- ands, and heaping untold miseries upon helpless women arid children. If these m@n were anima- ted by the Spirit of Christ, would they do this? Certainly not; a creed of destruction is devilish can only emanate from Satan himself. The men of the world look aghast at the spirit manifested by the Church to-day, and some laugh to see these jelly-backed Christians for- saking the truths they profess to follow, and taking an active part in this awful massacre of God's children. I read of a minister the other day who, while preaching the Gospel of love and peace to the soldiers in the trenches, at the same time could take up bombs to throw at the enemy—perhaps killing or maim- ing some poor 'child's father. A pretty gospel of love this, and a very remarkable way of loving your enemies. Beware of false prophets which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves." Where- fore by their fruits ye shall know them." Mr Edmund Harvey said he was willing that the Government should conscript all his worldly possessions, only leave him his principle of -love and goodwill towards men, but the majo- rity of the leaders of the Church to-day prefer to sacrifice the members of the Church, rather than face the prospect of losing their beautiful and expensive homes and their -.ma,gpl;hcent sala- ries. Jesus wept," over Jersualem. He has wept a thousand times over England antl Ger- many in the past 18 months, to see the way in which His followers have forgotten and for- saken Him and His teachings. And how eagerly they have taken up the doctrine of slaughter maugu rated by His Satannio Majesty the Devil.

AN INTERESTING LESSON IN JOUR- I NALiSM. 7 Albion Street, Newport. January 17, 1915. 1 (To the Editor of the PIONEEH.) Dear Comrade, Out- local "Liberal" paper, the South Wales Argus," has. for the past fortnight, been making a dead set against the N.C.F. an any- one who dares to protest against the Govern- ment. They were themselves against Compul- sion until the Cabinet brought in their Bill, after which they turned right round and pub- lished leading articles bullying and abusing any- one who dared question the decision of Mr. Asquitli, and telling us how surprised they were that even publicists, Ministers of the Gos- pel, etc., were actually standmg in the way of the Government prosecuting the war to a suc- cessful C'onclusion, ek., etc., ad lib. They have refused to publish any letters from our point of view, and when the Secretary of the local N.C.F. asked them to publish U our manifesto, indignantly refused, and I enclose extract from, their leading article of the same evening. On the same night, a letter from the ex- Mayor of Newport appeared, marking sarcastic reference to the" Conscientious objector," to which I replied. You will see from the enclos- ed that my communication was so cut up, and it is so flagrant a case of fear of our posi- tion becoming too well known especially amongst their Nonconformist readers, that I think it is good enough to go into the Pioneer" (which many of our Branch take). For a paper to refuse to print that 11 the N.C.F. is a body of men of earnest and genu- ine convictions, some of whom have already suffered in consequence of their membership, and most of whom would find it easier to go the popuar way," is so apparently mean, and, as I am certain that the same thing is going on all over the country, I thought you migh quote this case as typical of the way the press is deliberately misleading the pu hhe.. The Tory paper, the "Post." published my letter in full, as you can see, and has been giving our side a fair show ever since the war began. Yours fraternally. W. J. POPE. A reply to my mutilated letter was published last night, and specially billed in the town as a Reply to a,- I Conscientious Objector by a Belgian who had suffered."

Extract from Leading Article in S. W. Argus" for January 12, 1916: Unhappily, the real meaning, the inevitable result, of votes which he is induced to give is not always obvious to the worker. But this is not the case with those who are making use of him to fur their their own ends. Unfortunately among those who are carrying on a dangerous agitation in other directions are men who in the past have been trusted and revered, yet who now refuse to recog- nise that the cataclysm that the war has brought about demands other methods and means than those that were safe and desir- able in piping times of peace. Save for their obstinate refusal to adapt their energies and their influence to the altered conditions of the day their loyalty and patriotism are be- yond question and doubt. It is very differ- ent, however, with m?n who, ever since the war broke out, have been busily engaged in distorting faets) in misrepresenting the policy of the country and of the Administration, who have o-een labouring unceasingly in the interests of Germany and to the injury of their own country. By speech, by pamph- lets and newsapers, the work has been con- stantly pursued, and the principals in this nefarious campaign have a numerous fol- lowing throughout the country. By one of their party a leaflet was brought to our of- fice yesterday with a view to its contents be- ing advertised. It was so grossly defiant of authority, so disloyal, if not actually treason- able, that the man was told we would not insert the proposed advertisement at any price. Yet this manifesto is circulated freely through the post; a great Gbvememnt Department lends itself to a propaganda whose like in Germany would probably-and not wholly inexcusably-mean a speedy end to propangadists as well as propaganda. Mr. Samuel is now transferred from the Post Office and becomes Home Secretary. Let us hope that this will not involve a greater amount of tolerance to disloyalty than has hitherto been displayed. The call is not for easy going, but for rirl-n and drastic action, and a start in this direction might very well be made with the printers of the leaflet to which we have referred and to the whol e bunch of signatories.

Mutilated Letter in S.W. Argus," Jan. 14th, 1916. CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTORS. (To the Editor of the "South Wales Argus." Dear'Sir,-I was very much surprised to see in your issue of the 12th instant a letter on this matter, written in such a tone, by a gentleman of the standing of Mr. Robjem. [ know it is the fashion nowadays to sneer at conscientious objectors to military service; but, after all, is it so very strange that after nearly 2,000 years of Christian teaching, men should be found who say they will not kill under any circumstances and whatever the consequences? Mr, Robjent's hope of discovering wit (acute or otherwise) among our present Members of Parliament is rather pathetic, but I sincerely hope his wish will be gratified.—Yours faithfully. W. J. r. Newport. January 18, 1,916. I

E I Letter from Ex-Mayor in Argus and "Post," January 12th, 1916. THE CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTOR. To the Editor of the "South Wales Argus." Si.;rl-lt is to be hoped that the wit of some Members of Parliament may be sufficiently acute to be able to draft a form of words for insertion in the Military Service Bill which, while sufficiently elastic to give protection to the genuine cases (and probably, like rare I birds, they do still occasionally exist), yet may prove as difficult of passage as the eye of a needle is- to the proverbial camel to the host of those who are otherwise certain to develop the claims of conscience, in the inter- val between, the passing of the Compulsion Bill and the date when its provisions become operative. It is to be anticipated that that estimable society, the "No-Consei-iptioia Fellowship," and other like institutions, may expect a large accession of new members within the next few weeks, if a certificate of membership is likely to be accepted as valid form of con- scientious scruple. Magistrates tho have the unpleasant task of certifying the declaration of the conscientious objector to compulsory vaccination will agree that 90 per cent. of applicants are unable to give any logical OJ; valid rea-SOIL for their supposed belief, and I suggest it behoves the Legislature to see that it does not leave open so wide a door in the present case, otherwise there will be quite a stampede of eonseieaiee-strieken individuals waiting from day to day on the door-mat of the individuals who are appointed to grant exemption certificates. Yours faithfully. F. P. ROBJENT. Newport, January 12, 1916.

My Reply published in full in the Evening Pest," January 14th, 1916. CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTORS. (To the Editor of the "Past." Sii-,—I was very much surprised to see, in your issue of the 12th instant, a letter on this matter written in sueli a tone, from a gentleman of the standing of Mr. Robjent. I know it is the fashion nowadays to sneer at conscientious objectors to military service, but, after all, is it so very strange that after nearly two thousand years of Christian teach- ing, men should be found who say they will not kill under any circumstances, and what- ever the consequences.' [The No-Conscription Fellowship is a body of men of earnest and genuine convictions. some of whom have already suffered in conse- quence of their membership, and most of idiom would find it far more easy to go the popular way. I would remind Mr. Robjent that it was once the. fashion to sneer at Christ and His followers, and I am wonder- ing if H, who said. Blessed are the Peace- makers," came to earth at the present time, He would join the Newport Borough Re cruiting Committee or the No-Conscription Fel i.oii-IiIl).-All this paragraph cut out in the Argus." 1 Mr. Robjent's hope of discovering wit (ac- ute or otherwise) amongst our present Mem- bers of Parliament is rather pathetic, but I sincerely hope his wish will be gratified. — Yours, etc.. W. J. P. Newport. January lof 1916.

Correspondents are requested to condense their letters as much as possible. Letters of a personal character will not be inserted. The Editor wishes it t-o be distinctly under- stood that he will not hold himself responsible for the opinions or statements of correspond- ents. nor undertake to return rejected maaus- cripts. Correspondents MUST write on one side of the paper only.

WHAT DOES INDUSTRIAL UNIONISM M EA N (To the Editor of the PIONBEK.) Sir,—The discussion reported in the PiONEKit of the 22nd inst. of the Merthyr Trades and Labour Council re the N.U.R. amendment to the rules brought forward the question—Do the majority of the rank and file Trade Unionists recognise the full possibilities of an Industrial Union? The M.F.G.B. and N.U.R. are forging this weapon, but do we know for what purpose P The I.L.P. and other Socialist bodies have performed good propaganda work in showing up the faults of the capitalist system. They have prepared us for a change. The Industrial Union is the weapon which is capable to bring about that desired change and form of struc- ture upon which a future society can be built. Recent events show that our real power ex- ists in industry. The Government, passing by our political leaders, confer with the industrial leaders. The great fight against compulsion put up by Snowden and his colleagues will only be effective if followed by a decision of Trade Unionists to "down tools." Political strength is but the reflex of industrial strength. Turning nearer home we notice that our La- bour Guardians and Councillors take their places only by the financial support of their unions. The Trade Union Congress and the Labour Council are bodies based upon industrial or economic qualifications. Parliament and all our present local bodies are based upon resi- dential and property qualifications. Why should not the Labour Councils of the future supersede these local bodies? In our Trade Unions, with all their faults. we have an open recognition of the opposition between the employer and the employed. They can be made much more efficient fighting ma- chines than they are at present. We need e ducation on the past history, the present and future possibilities of our unions. Politics can- not be disregarded, but legislation will never create a better state. An alert, educated In- dustrial Union would use both strike and ballot simultaneously in a scientific way. For exam- ple, a strike for a six-hour day or adult suf- frage could be combined with the endeavours of a militant independent Labour Party in Par- liament. The situation thus created would com- mand immediate attention. The way of our emancipation lies in educa- tion. Time and attention should be devoted to increasing the efficiency of our unions. The South Wales Miners' Federation and the Na- tional Union of Railwaymen, in taking 6ver the Central Labour College, have given to their members a chance to procure necessary know- ledge their mem bers should make full use of this opportunity. The students who return should be made the centre of study classes formed by the local lodges. A good grounding in industrial history and Marxian economics would create a rank and file thoroughly class- conscious, and able and willing to use this In- dustrial Union weapon to end the present wage slave,ry Yours sincerely, CONSTANT READER. Ynysybwl, Jan. 25, 1916.

Anti=Compulsion Scenes. MEETING INVADED BY HOSTILE CROWDS At Newcastle an announcement that an an- ti-Conscription meeting of.delegates from the North of England Trade Union and Socialist organisations would be held in Connaught Hall, Newcastle, on Saturday afternoon, attracted a large hostile crowd, mainly composed of sold- iers, and strenuous endeavours were made to rush the staircase leading to the halJ. A large body of stewards, reinforced by the delegates blocked the way, however, and not until the business of the meeting was practi- cally over and an anti-Conscription resolution had been unanimously carried did a squa.d of 30 soldiers succeed in eic-efing a sufficient num- ber of the stewards to enable them to storm the staircase.