Pioneer

Mountain Ash Fire Brigade i COMPLAINT TO THE COUNCIL. II An item in the Mountain Ash Council agenda last Tuesday read: "To receive pdotest from the Mountain Ash Fire Brigade against criti- cisms passed at the last meeting of the Council and to consider the private subscriptions ques- tion." The Brigade wrote- Complaining that it was suggested they had received subscriptions under false pre- tences. The remarks made at the previous meeting were neither true nor just. Unless an apology was offered the members of the brigade would have no other course open to them but to resign. Mr. Bruce Jones asked what were the re-I marks complained of.—Mr. Noel Bowles replied that- he had raised the question of private sub- scriptions to the fire brigade. It was not hisi intention or desire to hurt the feelings or any member of the brigade. He simply in- quired what use was made of the money re- ceived by the brigade, and the balance sheet now supplied satisfied him. He emphatically re- pudiated the charge that what was said was neither true nor just. Mr. Bruce Jones: I don't think it right to solicit subscriptions for the fire brigade. As for getting an apology from me, they can disband any time so far as I am concerned. The Chairman (Mr. W. Lamburn): That is what I think. They are very sensitive. It was resolved to reply to the letter saying that the Council regretted that such a. letter should be written to them, and to say that there wwvno grounds for asking for an apo- logy. I also decided to refer the wbole qutio. KubecriptioM and fees paid to the brigade to a committee of the Council.

Patriotism and the Children. I EDUCATIONAL CANT. I For many years it has been the custom in our schools to give special lessons on Welsh Patriotism on St. David's Day. In Shakes- peare's P^ay > a refractory Saxon is shown as peare's copmlapye, JJbd to eat a leak thereby display- ing an example of the Welshman's subtle sense of humour. Times change and situations vary, but some threadbare ideas are still in vogue; innocent beings are being compelled to eat the leek-a metaphorical one. The English warrior is no longer victimised in this way. but the Welsh children are. In the schools, towards the beginning of March, the innocent's digestive systems are being prepared for the savoury mor- sel. St. David's Day is nearing; the phantastio prooession is dimly seen on the horizon. Her- alded by the sweet notes of the harp, the page- ant looms in the imagination. Soon they will be here; Saint David, that most definite person- ality with the authentic biography, hauling along the Welsh Dragon as his pet poodle; Owen Guendower with the blood-stained battle axe, chanted in a thousand englyns beloved by the bards; General Picton leading on the "scum of the earth (Wellington's words) to everlasting glory amidst the shambles of Waterloo, with VI- Giraldus Cambrensis, Dafydd ap Gwilym, Yl- car Pritchard, John Penry and William WIl- liams (Pantycelyn) bringing up the rear. In olden times the half savage inhabitants of England sacrificed the bodies of the children on the altars of Thor. We have changed the ritual a little. To-day we sacrifice the minds of the children on the altar of St. David. And to ensure that the amateur priests understand the details of the proceedure, the Secretary of the Welsh Department of Edu- cation has written a little pamphlet which is being sent to the school teachers. It reeks of the imaginative, emotional debauchery of the Welsh Jingo, and as a matter of course, is caned" Patriotism." What We Mean By Our Country, 1 The little pamphlet has been loomed con- siderably; the Western Mail" has published a column of golden tributes, including one par- ticularly generous from Mr. C. B. Stanton as the godfather in excelsis to anything and ev- erything that can be labelled patriotic. The children are not to have a holiday on St. David's Day this e .r* they are to be treated to an orgy 0 Welsh patriotism as outlined by the Welsh Department of the Bpard of Education. "To teach patriotism," it says, even in connection with a National Anniversary it not easy. But in the view of the Welsh Department, an attempt iI that di- rection should, and must, be made if the chil- dren of Wake, at a great crisis in the kistory of the world, a<re not to grow up with crude, 1 ajid perhaps false, ideas regarding themselves, their country, and the great Empire to which they belong. A short chapter is entitled What we meai by Our Country." It is a fair and pertinent question. We might take, for example, the great progressive district which Mr, D. A. Thomas has honoured by taking its name. Let us think of the Rhondda Valley. Haa-dly one hundred years ago it was a qusiet gloomy ro- mantic vale, with alternating stretches of leafy woods and broro hillsides with the bracken show- ing all the great variety of beauteous colour in the autumn. A clear stream flowed swiftly down, and made sweet music. When Napoleon fought his battles ike hills did not re-echo with the harsh voice of the half-starved newsboy veiling "Express-Fouth Bdition." A century has passed; hideous black mounds of rubbish have grown on the hill sides, anil alongside the filthy stream, almost a sewer, rows of dismal houses make a dismal picture of girim notoriety. Hooters shriek discordant- ly, and the pavements ring with the tramp of the wage slaves as they hurry along to the mine to make wealth for the benefit ef the Combine. Uugly posters redolent of vice and of liust disfigure the hoardings. Drink and crime are everywhere. That is what we mean by "our country." It is no good feasting the imagina- tion on rhapsodies of gallant little Wales, the land of song and religion, pure emotion and sanctified joy. Industrial Wales is a tragic platitude. But the teacher isn't told to teach the truth. He must get intoxicated with the en- thusiasm of the Welsh Educational Department and tell the children: "Our country is the land which our fathers lived and. worked and died to raise to its present great position in the world, and to make a better place for you and me. In our country we have a glorious inheritance—noble languages great literatures splendid deede; free institutions; priceless lib- erty. This then is 'our country,' to which we are proud to belong; this the land which we must be willing to defend to the last drop of blood. In serving and defending 'our country,' we believe we are dging service to the Imman race The British Empire- our country in its widest sense—does not consist of subjugated nations; it is the home of free peoples; there- in lies its strength and the ground of our pride in it." Cant. We are told what our country has done for us: Our fathers loved their country; they worked for it and fought for it all over the world; they gave their lives for it—many and many of them-to make our country a free an happy place te live in; a country to be proud of. Hence our liberty of speech and of action, hence our Parliament-" the mother of Par- liaments." Hefice our liberty to worship God without let or hindrance as our conscience bids." On March 1 this will be told to the children in the schools. On March 2 the single men become Conscripts. Glory to the Mother of Parliaments and the soul of the Principality. Long live St. David and St. Derby. The children are to be taught how to be patriotic. Penny banks and savings banks are to help children to be thrifty, and by being patriotic, to help their country as well as themselves. I Children are to be taught how to distinguish the false patriotism frowa the true. Of course, the Board are not recommending a school course of Ethics. The matter is simplified. False patriotism must mean Germany. The child's attention must be drawn to the sinking of the Lusitania, the murder of Nurse Cavell, and the Armenian atrocities. Then comes the statement, "Bullying, blus- tering, swaggering behavious to other nations is just as obje-ctionable as a big bully's conduct in school is to his school companions. The German's Hymn of Hate is unworthy of a great nation." And the older boys, rather keen on geography, will have discovered that German East Africa, which we are now after, is practically twice the size of Germany in Eu- rope! Nowadays a soldier is the hero of the family; the child's mind is in its most impressionable stage; every small boy in Standard I. can caricature the Kaiser. We are breeding th" great tolerant nation of to-morrow; see Mr. As- quith's Guildhall speech. The Welsh Educa- tion Department is out to help. It says to the teachers: i. Keep the old sham enthusiasm alive. Remember St. David." Of course, this is not fostering race hatred and popular passion. But what of the Wales of to-morrow? EMRYS HUGHES.

Cwmaman Stoppage Case. I COLLIER'S FUNtRAL CASE. WORKMEN'S RIGHT TO ATTEND. I Several hundreds of workmen employed at the Cwmaman Collieries marched to the Aber- dare Police Court on Wednesday, accompanied by Mr. Owen Powell, the miners' agent. The occasion was the hearing of summonses taken out against 50 of the workmen at the collieries by the Cwmaman Colliery Company, who claim- ed damages for alleged unlawful abstention from work on January 18. The amount of the claim in each case Mr. Charles Kenshole was for the Colliery Company, and Mr. Ivor Parry (Morgan, Bruce, Nicholas and Parry. Pontypridd) represented the men. The case of William Parry was taken first. Mr. Kenshole's Statement. Mr. Kenshole, in opening, explained that a fatal accident to a workman named Carroll occurred at one of the pits on Friday, Jan. 14. On the following day Mr. Wm. Rees, the check- weigher, met the manager (Mr. Wm. Jones) and intimated that the men might want to leave early to attend the funeral. He explained that lie did not know when the funeral would take I place, and that the men were going to have a meeting on the following Monday. On the Monday Mr. Rees saw Mr. Heppell, the agciit, at the pit-top and made some references to stopping early for the puroose of the funeral. Mi. Heppell said he did not know that it was necessary that the pit should stop for the funeral, and said a better arrangement would be to allow 24 men from the district where the deceased man worked and 12 men from each of the two pits to attend. Mr. Rees expressed the opinion that it was not necessary to stop the whole of the pits, but added that a meeting would take place that afternoon. The meeting was fixed for Tuesday. Mr. Heppell intimated that he was prepared to make any reasonable arrangements with the men after the meeting. No further communication, however, was made to the man- agement, and on the Tuesday morning only 57 men out of 800 workmen at the two pits — Fforchwen and Owmaman-tumed up for work, and these 57 were officials and hauliers. The result was a stoppage of the two pke for the day. The loss in output was ljiiOO kxns of coal, and standing charges leaving out the question of profit, was £ 424. Mr. Kenshole explained that the men had complained on the day after the fatal accident that an insufficient number of men had come out with the body, although, Mr. Kenshole added, eight men working in the immediate vi- cinity of the accident had acoompelniod the body out. He suggested that perhaps this was the reason, why they absented themselves from work on the Tuesday. Mr. Kenshole added that the question of attending funerals had been the subject of a good deal of trouble from time to time, and it was discussed before the last Conciliation Board Agreement was entered into. He read clause 23 bearing on the matter, and showing that it was a question of arrangement bet- I. ween the management ana any particular workman who wanted to attend a. fimeral. The Stipendiary (Mr. R. A. Griffith): This is only an instalment. I understand? Mr. Parry: Yes, sir. a test case. The Stipendiary: Out of hundreds. It might mean attending my funeral. (Laughter.) Tne Manager. ,.d The manager, Mr. William Jones, in evid- ence, supported Ma-. Kenshole's opening state- ment: Cross-examined 'oy Mi-. Parry, witness agrees d that it used to be an old practice for the men in the pita to leave when they learned of a. fa-tal accident, and to cease working for the shift. He did not send any orders round that the men were not to be told of Carroll's deatn. There had been instances of men leaving early for a funeral, and for the timethuslOOit to be made up afterwards by the men. A day lost could have been made up in two weeks without loss to the company. The Stipendiary: I take it that it is not a new thing for all the men to absent them- selves from work to attend a funeral P Witness: I have not known that to be 4one except by arrangement. The Checkweigher Mr. W. Rees, J.P., checkweigher at the col- Me'ry, gave evidence with reference to his in- teaviews with the manager and Mr. Heppell. He aaw? t.e manager because he was deputed to do so by the men, and he informed him of the men's desire to finish early on the day of .7 on the day of the funeral. The manager intimated that he would have to see Mr. Heppell on the matter. Seen on the Monday by witneM, Mr. Heppell was informed that having regard to their being so upset about the fewness of the men who came out with the body on the day of the acci- dent, witness was afnaid that unless some ar- rangement was come to to fimish early for the funeral the workmen would take the day for the funeral. Witness thought then the funeral would be in the afternoon, whereas it really took place at 11 o'clock. WitneS8 suggested tfiat the men might finish at o*e o'clock ami a quarter deducted, or, as an alternative, that the men work the time back. Mr. Heppell, on the other hand, offered to allow a limited num- ber of 48 men to go to the funeral. Witness asked Ma-. Helypelt if he could not go further, as he desired to convey a reply to the meeting of the men, and Mr. Heppell's reply was No." In his address to the Bench, Mr. Parry sub- mitted that the refusal of the management to tke men's application was an unreasonable one. Decision Reservetf. After a long hearing the Stipendiary an- nounced that the matter was an important one, and he would reserve his decision for a week.

Theatre Royal. I When I predicted that last week'e wonder- ful show at the Royal was to be eclipsed by this week's, I was not talking without the book. and I want to disabuse all my friends who are acclaiming me prophet. It was not a case of prophecy. Charles Mott I had seen in this months' Review of Reviews" extolled as equal to Sir Edgar EJ gar's music in the "Drama of the Month." Bert Harrow I know well the Sisters Sprightly were old favourites, and I had taken delight once before in the excellent legerdemain of Arthur Lloyd. The Ilott Trio and the Strength Brothers are as well known in musical and physical circles as is Bouraeville1 Cocoa to the magazine read- ing public. Charles Mott, as I have said, is regarded as the greatest vocalist in the Metropolis by the first-class reviewers; and, though we may not take the verdict of London into consideration in aiTiving at our opinions, it is pleasant, to think that we are at one with London in our appreciation. Wales i essentIally the home of good vocal melody, and that Charles Mott has been recalled twice and thrice each night in the home of musical talent is the highest praise he has ever had. Charles Mott is a great artist equally at home in the difficult schools of the operatic writers, or in the homely folk- songs His interpretation of the "Toreador" Song from "Carmen," and "I'm Off to Phila- delphia in the Morning," to single uut but two delphia in the Morning," to single out but two imagine they have heard the best. As for Bert Harrow, one finds it difficult to write strongly enough about him. An apprecia- tion of his boundless mirth should be penned by a Barry Pain, and even then it would do him less than justice. He is the High Priest of the merry god of laughter--Comus; and a wor- thy one, too. He is the quintessence of eccen- tric fun; doubly refined and served neat. Bert Harrow is head and shoulders over everybody else in this line of businses. The Sisters Sprightly I have on numerous times lauded, and I find it difficult to write anything new about them, for after all the superlatives of appreciation in English are limited. They are even brighter and more vivacious than I have ever known them before and their Charlie Chaplin skit is perfect. I believe they are Lancashire, and I'm proud of our mutual county. A Northman can say no higher praise than that. Arthur Lloyd's easy magic show is as entertaining as ever. There are no trick scenes or high falutin settings— but just sheer joy in his show. His card and ticket producing show is great. The Strength Bros, are equally good. Silent, clean, humorous and perfect they are true top liners. The Ilott Trio are ,vocalists in a thousand and they and Arthur Haynes maintain the great reputation that has deservedly won around the bill. Mr. and Mrs. E. Vaughan's Company will appear next week in "The Little Grey Home in the West," by Mrs. F. G. Kimberley. This lady is well known as a successful playwright —but in this, her latest play she has far ex- ceeded herself. The story deals with the never- iailing mother's love—not a mather's love for a wee helpless baby-but for a grown-up son. Two mothers fight in their different ways for their sons' happiness. Then there is the big question of a master marrying his servant. The story is most simply but most interestingly un- folded. Each artiste has been specially pioked, and the scenery is beautiful. The drama will be run twice nierhtlv. and the nrioes are the same. V' PLAYGOER.

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

I HOUSING AFTER THE WAR. (To the Editor of .le Pioneer.) Sir,—On behalf of the South Wales Garden Cities and Town-Planning Association, we de- sire to emphasis.e. the supreme importance of preparing without delay for social re-construc- tion after the war, and more especially for the provision of an adequate supply of dwellings for the working classes. We do not urge the *actual construction of houses at the present time, as the demands of the nation in regard to labour and capital are so great that any considerable cottage building activity is, for the moment, both undesirable and impractica- ble. The impossibility of building at present, however, should not blind us to the growing seriousness of the housing problem and to the great need of preparing for its solution as soon as conditions become more favourable. It would assuredly be a very short-sighted policy to postpone the consideration of after-war pro- blems until we are brought actually face to face with them. Owing to the great shrinkage of building ac- tivity, the housing problem in South Wales htlS become exceedingly acute. Before the war, there was a shortage, on the lowest estimate, of not less than 2,5,000 dwellings in the coalfield area. and ordinary building agencies were quite unable to cope with the housing demands of the increasing population. Since the war this shortage has increased by probably not less than 5,000 dwellings per annum, and it will be no exaggeration to say that when peaoe is re- stored the aggregate deficiensy will amount over 40,000; while the conditions crea.ted lfr the war will greatly handicap building agencie* in catering for the need. Bearing these conside- rations in mind, it will be evident to all who realise that good housing is absolutley essen- tial to national well-being, that it is impossible to postpone all consideration of hour ing develop ment until the war has ended. Leading authorities prophesy that, when munitioI work ceases and our armies are demo- bilised after the termination of hostilities, thecre will be a most serious dislocation of trade and industry, and a widespread prevalence of un- employment, unless foresight is exercised and schemes are prepared immediately for the ab- sorption of labour on constructive undextakilign. This has been forcibly oointe^l out by Mr. See- boknii Rowntree in a widely neticed article in the Contemporary Review" of October, 1916. He states: "Making full allowance for all pos- sible exceptions, and likewise those whose re- turn will not affect labour, I believe we shall be well within the mark in assuming that con- siderably over a million men will be thrown on the labour market within three months of the termination of the vmr, and that work will have to be found either for them or for the individuals whom they will displace. More- over, the labour market at that time will ba singularly unqualified to absorb this addltionjal labour. Vast numbers of workers to-day are en- gaged in manufacturing goods, the demand for which has been created directly or indirectly by the war. When peace is signed the great bulk of this demand will cease, and oonsequenJJir there will be very serious dislocation of iridustfy apart from that caused bv the demobilisation of the army." The building trades constitute the second largest industrial group in the country, and thousands of the returning soldiers will be skilled men who have spent all their lives in building work. To provide employment for thee* men at their own occupations is sound economy, and we* strongly urge that employers of labour, local authorities, housing societies and compa- nies, as well as individual speculators will b* doing work of the highest national importance if they prepare estate development and housing schemes now so that actual building work can be commenced immediately after peace is re- tofed. The opinion has been widely expressed that demobilisation should take place very gradually so that the labour market shall not be glutted. This policy we believe to be un- sound the provision of constructive work for soldiers will surely be more economical than their maintenance in the Army when the need for their services has ceased. It is estimated that to retain 200,000 building workers with the colours in order to avoid flooding the lab- our market will cost the nation half a million a week-a sum which in six months will defray the cost of 65,000 badly needed dwellings. Much preliminary work is necessary before actual building can be commenced. Land has to be leased or purchased, road and cottage planx prepared and submitted to the local authority for approval, and these and other preliminaries often occupy many months. If they are post- poned until the war is ended, much distress may result before actual building operations can be commenced. We recognise, of course, that many local authorities, public utility societies and similar agencies hesitate to proceed until they know what financial assistance by way of loan or grant they can expect from the Gov- ernment. That some such help must be forthcoming seems inevitable, and we trust that. a Government pronouncement on this subject will be made at no distant date. It is obvi- ous. however, that the agencies which have their schemes matured will receive speediest consideration from the State when the proper time arrives. In conclusion, we desire to state that our As- sociation, which is a purely propagandist body, vrill gladly render information and advice grat- is to any persons, associations or local authori- ties which contemplate the preparp ion of town-planning and housing schemes. Yours, etc., D. LLEIJFER THOMAS (Chairman). J. A. LOVAT-FRASER (Hon. Treasurer). EDGAR L. CRAPPELL (Secretary). 18 Queen Street, Cardiff. 0, DEM GOLDEN SLIPPERS. A CRUSHED ONE S REPLY TO TORREZ. (To the Editor of the Pioneer.) Dear gir,-Before I begin to drown Snor Tor- rez in a bottle of ink I should like to put on record my sense of deep gratitude to him for condescending to reply. Of course, I under- stand it was an effort for an Anarchist who in- vites discussion to reply to an .ordinary Socialist who merely accepted his invitation. His mag- nanimity has touched my heart; his article brought tears to my eyes. I shall try to faith- fully deal with Torrez. To say that I am amused because he has had to study by the light of a candle i* absolute bunkum. I've had some myself. And I am old enough and wise enough to know that some of the greatest mea