Pioneer

Illusory Fortunes. By James Winstone, J.P. SEE PAGE 2

London's Black Hundreds! Does the Government want London to be Another Dublin ? SEE PAGE 3

Housing- The Solution. I MR CHAPPEL AND WORK ON DEMOBILI- SATION. INTERESTING LECTURE AT ABER- TILLERY. A special meeting of the Ahertillery Trades and Labour Council was held on Tuesday, open to friends and delegates, for the purpose of hearing an address by Mr E. L. Ohappell (of Cardiff, secretary of the South Wales Town Planning and Garden Cities Association. Mr J. Hughes, vice-chairman, presided, and in his opening remarks stated that one of the ob- jects of the Council was the general well- bemg of the community, and housing was cer- tainly ai necessary. studv. Mr Chappell said he thought no apology was needed for his address. Peace must be prepared for. There was a shortage of 30,000 houses in the mining districts of Glamorgan and Mon- mouthshire alone-not taking into account un- fit habitations. He gave telling figures showing how the war will aggravate the evil. Private en- terprise cannot, without aid, make up the alarming deficiency. Reasons why were then given. One, private enterprise fails when it does not pay. The great increases in the cost of buildings were then shown, and accounted for partly by high wages and cost of materials. Anothe,r factor is that makers of materials are also looking for what amounts to higher wages. The present tendency of combine was referred to all making towards the combination of ca- pital. The huge amalgamations of colliery com- manies, etc, were pointed out as illustrations. People in all circles are learning that the much vaunted "OOlllpetitive" system is wasteful. The combines in the building trade have a system of only selling their goods to merchants who still keep up the prices. Indeed, to these com- bines Mr Chappell attributed tliei biggest cause of the great avances in prices of certain build- ing materials. Another reason why private enterprise has failed to keep ] u > with the de- mand. for houses is Mie fact that 'the return on money invested is cempa? im\ small. Capital is invested where it is most ni luctive, and in lIhn; being attracted elsewhere. Again, in South Wales, Nature has been kind in supplying such mineral wealth, bat unkind in the conforma- tion of the land. Abertillery has been verv un- fortunate. The 'builder has had g-roafc difficul- ties, and after 33 per cent of the cost of houses lta; !,or into the foundations u'uvssaiy. The lenld i not. To hlsp.ii>. irv b>> • o K mn1:p smltlI ),, Itie i)-(-Ople, who "nave InHd out of houses are those who bought up old houses cheap. and then obtained higher ren ts for them, an d often being shopkeepers made their tenants buy at their shops. Mr Ohappel mentioned the undertaker who let his houses on the conditions that if any coffins were required by his tenants, they were to be bought from him. Mr. Chappell then went on to deal with some solutions of the housing problem. He took some facts for illustration from the report of the Medical Officer of Health for Abertillery, an 1 mentioned how well placed the district had been in that particular. It was most progress- ive, and the reports of the Officer were the best in the whole of South Wales. There was a short- age in the Abertillery area of 1,107 houses. How could that problem be solved? All the sites available could not provide the room for the 1.100 families needed room for. It was too late to speak of town planning for Abertill- ery. The valley was full of houses, and miserab- ly built the town had been. There had been a lamentable lack of vision. Private enterprise had built the place, but it could not extend it. Municipal or State Building Schemes were then dealt with. The speaker said-he gave reasons for saying-that he could see no inconsistency in a Socialist owning his house, but he thought the individual ownership solution the least desirable. Cb-operative schemes were high- ly spoken of, seeming to have the most approv- al from the lecturer. The conveniences, means of recreation, etc., to be so obtained were pre- sented very attractively. For the houses the necessity of making good tenants was mention- ed, and cases were spoken of where eight greyhounds had been kept in a kitchen, and in similar ways abuses of houses were taking place. The facts of such tenants being possible must be taken into consideration. Then the question at Abertillery, if any housing scheme was put into operation, would be where to build? Where are the sites? He had had a glance around, and he would say the only thing possible, and the best to do, would be to take the mountain top. Get ihe District Coun- cil to build there, and to well lay the place out. He referred to the lessons to be learned by what had been done in other countries. Then there was the question of how to get the land. and also the means of access to the mountain top if it was used for housing purposes. He said there were more serious diffi- culties than those to overcome. In other places such problems had already been solved. The municipal authorities had power to acquire the neoessary large tracts of land at reasonable rates, arid the difficulty of access could well be solved by railways. What prevented the -municipality tackling the problem? They should deal with it at the earliest possible moment. The war over, the country would be flooded with labour. Press upon the Government the extreme importance of the housing problem. and ask for the money to solve it. Employ- ment could then be given to many of the men who would return from the war. He was sorry some Labour men were advocating slow demobilisation of the armies when Peace came. He felt sure the soldiers would not be content with that; they would want to return to their homes immediately. Take in hand housing to give them work to do, and also employ to use- ful purpose the money that would otherwise go ,-bo their maintenance. Abertillerv had a prog- ressive Council, he said, "ginger" them upland re?s, i ve Coun6l, he said, press for the large schemes to be put into ope- ration. (Applause.) After a few questions had been replied to, a. vote of thanks to Mr Chappell for his very excellent address was passed, moved by Mr W. Davies, seconded by Mr T. Parfitt. and sup- ported by Mr T. Mytton and Mr T. J. Davies. Mr T. J. Davies aroused laughter by saying the cemetery for Aber" was at the top of the mountain. They could not take people there while living, but they took them there when dead.

A Conscientious Objection to Socialism. By A. E. COOK. A friend of mine cultivates the extremely useful habit of subjecting his views and opt- ions to the criticism of the opposite point of vie v. "It is good," tays he, "to kinw the strength of the opposition, and the relative value of their case and our own; and if with logic and reason I can answer hostile criticisms then in that measure does my confidence in Socialist, contentions increase." Following this course, he came to me with an apparent poser the other day. Will you tell me?" quoth he, "how a Socialist can consistently resist Con- scription when applied to him, and at the same time ruthlessly propose the Conscription of C.apital.P Suppose now, for instance, the ca- pitalist, develops a conscientious objection to 1 the socialisation of his wealth, are we not, by virtue of our present stand, bound to respect his objection, refrain from applying compulsion, and thereby break down in the application of our- Socialistic proposals?" Yes, my friend; you have apparently put me a poser but let us examine the character of the two forms of Conscription. Let me put the two proposals alongside each other in order that we may arrive at a correct diagnosis. The proposals are: —First: That the Government of this country—which we contend is a capitalistio Government—pro- poses to conscript us, body and soul, into a work that is -abhorrent to our consciences; we therefore object and resist the conscribing pro- cess. Sc,c,ond-Th,t,t we, as Socialists propose to conscript the wealth of the capitalists, and use it in a manner that is abhorrent to the consciences of the capitalists, they therefore object and resist the conscribing process. You say now that there is no difference in the two proposals. No difference? Well, let us see. The capitalist or his government, to be correct, proposes to conscript bodies, live bodies with souls, spirits, individuality dwelling propose to conscript, not the bodies and souls of the capitalists, but, a thing or an object- their wealth. So that if you are still going to ontend that both forms of Conscription are parallel, you are going to contend that ma- terial things, such as make up the wealth of a country, are equal in value, and rank on the same plane as human life. You would hardly care to admit that man, animate pulsating man, conqueror and master of the flora amd fauna of this earth, potential for good or ill, with all his infinite possibilities, his joys, sor- rows, art, science, literature and religions; you would hardly care to think that he was but the equal of so much calico, iron or coal dust. A vile slave system might so degrade him, but the noblest and best in life cry out emphatic- ally "No!" The diffei-enw in the objects compelled, then, needs must compel us to admit that there is no comparison in the two proposals. To take a man's life is reckoned even by capitalist legality as being much more heinous than to take a man's wealth, so of how much less take a m?an's w consequence must the conscription of wealth be to the conscription of life? Yes that certainly puts the matter in a different light, but it does not rid us of the validity of the capitalist's objection to the con- scribing of his weaJth." Granted, so far; but let us look deeper still into the nature of the two forms of Conscrip- tion. The Socialists' objection is based on the following grounds: the sanctity of human life, the brotherhood and indentity of interests be- tween members of the labouring classes of all lands, and the very portineiit refusal to fight for the wealth and the country he does not possess To participate in warfaxe would be to violate all these convictions, and there- fore his objection is logical and valid. But compare the capitalist's objection to the conscription of his wealth, he has only one leg to stand on, and tliat is that he has the legal right to the ownership of the said wealth But, come now, haven't we Socialists proved times without number that that is all the right he h&s to his wealth—a legal right not a moral or actual right? Is not the cen- tral plank of our Socialist contentions the claim that all wealth is the production of Lab- our (brain and manual), and that therefore rent, interest, and profit are but the proceeds of a legalised robbery ef the working class. So really what our proposals come to are not a conscription of wealth, but a restoration of wealth to its rightful owners, the people who produced it. When the capitalist can prove that the wealth he possesses was not produced by Labour, then we will admit his objection to be valid. Otherwise one may as well admit that a burglar has a conscientious objection to a restoration of any goods he has pilfered. So, after all. we Socialists are perfectly consistent in opposing Military Conscription to-day, and in the same breath proposing the expropriation (to use a better term than Conscription) of ca- pital. And we can promise the capitalistic ob- jector a much better .treatment at our hands than our young Socialist Objectors axe, receiv- ing to-day: we shall not gaol him and give him two years' "hard," but rather give him a chance to earn an honest living and enjoy the same privileges as ourselves. And if after we have socialised his wealth for the common good, and he still objects to fall in line, well, let him be like the objector to the new "sum- mer-time," continue to object; and like him, he will find it deuced inconvenient.

Mr HELP THOSE WHO HELP -40I VIWR PAPER! A SERIES OF PEACE MEETINGS Under the auspices of the Merthyr and District Peace Council, will be Addressed by THE HON. Bertrand Russell Commencing Sunday Next, July 9th, at the following places:- THE OLYMPIA RINK MERTHYR TYDFIL on SUNDAY NEXT, JULY 9. Chair to be taken by Mr. T. E. EISTWISTLE (Evangelist) at 2.(30 p.m. THE COUNCIL SCHOOLS, ABERCANAID. on MONDAY NEXT, JULY 10. The Chair will be taken by the Rev. ENOCH HUGHES at 6 30 p.m. TABERNACLE HALL, TROEDYRHIW, on TUESDAY NEXT, JULY 11. Chair to be ] taken by Mr. F. A. JONES at 7 o'clock. THE CARNEGIE LIBRARY, DOWLAIS, on WEDNESDAY NEXT. JULY 12. The Chair will be taken by Mr. W. FISHPOOL at 7.30 o'clock. ADMISSION FREE. Collection at each Meeting to defray Expenses. rr ■mil ml !■II MM 1III8!J8::<iIfi'IB —■—

Ystradgynlais Notes. I the Peace Movement. On Monday last, the Hon. Bertrand Russell addressed a good audience at the .IL.P. Hall. He spoke for immediate negotiations for Peace, and his speech was well received—many signato- ries to the Peace Memorial being obtained. After the meeting, Mr Russell spoke to the members, giving them advice and answering questions relating to the Military Service Act. I At the Sign of the Lion. A party of 1.L.P ers; visited Abercrave last Friday in order to hear Mr Tom Riohards, M.P. It turned out, however, that Mr Rich- ards speaks this .Friday instead The party. feeling sore at being deprived of an opportunity of making Mr Richards acquainted with their views rega-r d ing the actions of the S. W M F views regarding the action, of the S.W.M.F. >n and ether per- tinent questions, rwolved tf¡ seek solace with ths Abercrave Spaniards. Some of the party, who evidently knew where to find these, guided the remainder to the rendezvous. The mention of Ferrer's name was sufficient introduction, and a most enjoyable evening was spent by the party. Step-dancing was indulged in, with lanto Oardi" accompanying at the piano. The Ystracl comrades were escorted back by several young immigrants, who avowed themselves ad- herents of the International. The impression left on the I.L-P'ers was that the opposition to the Spaniards, recently shown in the locality is due solely to the fact that their point of view has not been ascertained. If the miners decided to better their conditions, they would find the Spaniards amongst the first to co- operate.

West Wales Notes. The Federation Picnic. I'he Gorseinon Comrades were to have "pic- nicked" in' Park Mill on Saturday last, but "O!d Jupiter Pluvius" \Va. out with an extra big watering can, and we are afraid they were compelled to keep under cover! We haven't heard from them yet, but if they did have to cancel their arrangements, they need not be downhearted. The Federation picnic to Park Mill on July 22 will mors than recom- pense them. from what I hear, the West Wales branches intend making this a "red let- ter day." A big pa,rty is expected from the valloy:-from Abercrave to Glais; another big contingent is going to gather at Swansea., and somewhere on the road they hope to overtake another equally large party frotn the Llanelly district. Nothing is being loft to chance, not even the weather; for it has leaked out that the West Wales boys have been promised a fine day on that date by Lloyd George! The final touches in the arrangements are to be made at the monthly meeting of the Federation which is to be held on Saturday, July 8, in the Swansea I.L.P. Centre. The Ramblers. I The Ramblers of the Swansea Buanch were out in Gower on Sunday last. All agreed 'twas a purple patch! Arthur Webb, B.A., was the guide; and what he doesn't know about the flowers of the peninsula, the others are will- ing to take as read." Minchin Hole and Bacon Hole were visited, and a few of the more en- thusiastic scrambled up the cliff to the breed- ing place of the gulls. The one egg found was discovered later, when it burst all over the clothes of one of the party, to be addled! Wren Jack G. proudly displayed the fossil bones he had found in Minchin Hole to the wondering and incredulous gaze pf those who were too lazy to make the descent of the cliff, all agreed they WERE "fossils." Still, there was no reason why Sid J. should call them bally fossils." It was unkind! That the ramble was so enj oyable was chiefly due to our worthy and gifted guide. Comrade Arthur Webb. We are now looking forward eagerly to the picnic to Park Mill on July 22.

II PROPAGANDA, NOT PROFIT," is the motto of the Pioneer Press." If you are alive to the tremendous social improve- ments that the Party the Pioneer represents stands for. then it 'is your duty to ap that all your Trades Union, Co-operative, and General Printing comes to Williams' Square, Merthyr the ttome of the Pioneer."

I Abertillery Notes. Proposed Cottage Hospital. Ihe. first meeting of the New Proposed Hos- piLa{ Pro'<.jn;)}'.)uimitie(-.??i.?!? Wed-   nesday week in the Tilery Institute, when delegates representing 7,000 workers were pre- sent. The first meeting was enthusiastically taken up by all the delegates, and they all ex- pressed the wish that that meeting would be the foundation stone of this noble object. This first meeting was called chiefly to appoint of- ficers etc., and the following gentlemen were unanimously appointed officers:—Chairman. J. bo in as H. Mytton. vice-chairman Bedwelltv Guardians; vice-chairman. Mr Wm. Davies: ioint secretaries, Messrs. William Bowen and Idris Morgan. It was reported by the Secre- tary that the result of the ballot on the question of a hospital by the whole of the col- lieries in the district was in favour C.O.'s Sentence. the six Conscientious Objectors from the Abertillery District—Tom Jones; Jim Jones; Elwyn Jones; Wilfred Jones; Stanley Plummer and Cecil Arrowsmith—who were court-mar- tialled on Saturday, June 24, have since had their sentence announoed-112 days' hard lab- our. They are now in Cardiff Gaol.

I Aberdare District Miners' Federation. The half-yearly meeting was held at the Dis- trict Offices on Tuesday evening, the 4th imstant, when there was a full representation of the lodges. Mr Owen Powell (agent) and Mr Illtyd Hopkins (secretary and sub-ageot) were also present. I Certificates of Exemption for Miners. Mr 1 nomas Richards, General Secretary, in his reply to the Secretary, enclosed a copy of a letter from Mr T. Greenland Davies, Mines Inspector, stating that the certificates of ex- emption were being sent out with the great- est possible speed, and that he hoped, im the course of a week or two, to have them all out so far as they have been dealt with under the Military Service Act. Stoppage of Aberaman Colliery through I nundation of Water. J nræponse to an application by the Aber- aman Lodge, it was resolved to mk? a grant of £200 from the District Funds, with a strong recommendation to the lodges to render further support. St. John Ambulance Association. Col. Herbert Lewis, who attended OIL behalf of the Association, in a most effective address placed before the meeting the great demands on their Association in trying to alleviate the sufferings and in rendering all help possible to our brave men at the front, and the urgent need of funds to meet the case. Resolved that the matter be referred to the lodges, and the question of voting a grant from the District Funds be placed on the agenda of the next District Monthly Meeting. Election of District Officers for Ensuing Term President. Mr W. 1. Williams, Bwllfa No. 3 Lodge. Vice-President. Mr William Williams, Aber- cwmboi Lodge. Junior Auditor, Mr Dan Howells. Blaenant Lodge. A hearty vote of thanks was accorded to Mr Jobnn,* Crriffiths. the retiring president, and also the retiring Executive Members, for their services during the year.

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