Pioneer

NOTICE /N MAY 1st the system of placing periodicals on "Sale or Return comes to an encf, and newsagents will regulate their wholesale orders to the actual requirements of their cus- tomers. Therefore, to ensure a eopy of the Pioneer," it is necessary to place a definite order with their newsagent before, or send subscriptions direct to the "Pioneer" Office, Williams Square, Merthyr.

Conference Resolu- tions. •lit.IMPORTANCE OF FULL REPRESENTA- TION. 14OW SMALL BODIES MAY DELEGATE. ?", ."oa'cle"s will be pleased to have the op- ? ?!? "y of considering the resolutions which jsve j n ^'ra e( l for that most important con- ?? afted for that most important con- puce the Democratic working-class forces f ?? ??on summoned to Leeds for Sunday, Oe¡ rdJ ?? the United Socialist Council. The 1Ibon f h. i Hifc 0llS set forth below explain their mission ? ? ??' What they are intended to do is to ive h€ and courage to the Russian revolu-! ?-?? this their time of trouble, and by Q 8pread f the spirit of sane democracy ?? t? ?t our own people, to prevent what would th, ""Dst calamitous happening of the war- 4??o Ile.Illsion 'of a separate peace between Rus- t' ^r1fiCentral powers. The Leeds Con- ^oe "lust be regarded, by all who think for • %in as the most ii ?ivortant -a.t h ei-ing ? t?? ? ?? most important gathering thl- outbreak of war, since from it may N th 6 dynamic that will mean an early ?en- ? Pe ac'e; upon which can be builded the beau- ? s?????' ?re of a freed from fear world, march- '? ? ?j??ty towards the Social International. 4 ?i  of ?? great issues involved it is impera- ?? tha? t every organisation entitled to send ?S'?ves, should do so; even at a sacri- °lally that ordinarilv would prevent de- ???ioM whilst Miners' Lodges, Trades Coun- es Ild I.L.P,s who can afford should send full ?% itation. There are, of course, many ?Sliti ? organisations, such as small craft Sis whose heart will be in the Confer- ^biitif w^lose lieaT't will be in the Confer- pl?o h  numel'ical attd ifnancial strength '?? representation; to these we would 014t ?"lt, as Councillor Stonelake did last week, L itortance of associating themselves with r Couf ^reCe by the transmission of delegates' £ to t/' ?cretaries, and we have arranged ? th.. ?? ?? ?'?-C- representative, ??. ?- Thomas, 65, Rockingham-terra?, lIv 'tQti p. S'Jf\^ that ail,v cre d entia l s sent b11ll b Il3, to ? ??? ??? credentIals sent b J' ??th Wales organisations are handed ?<!6Hl?? "?? will vote on The cards in ac- tt,¡ Oe  the ?structions of the branches. ,?Y??4- ????'" avail themselves of this fv^Unitv t?eir representation ef-   t," ol"rac of opinion ck' ff'f voiced at thK ? Co,frence. S rê,(;¡()ln+1r' 'VI)Iùt: u UIl:'J ??-L Hail! The Russian '?ti? ?"? Conferenüc of Labour, Social- '4h leinocrat-ic organisations of Great Bn- q a s; the Russian Revolution. With grati- anci ad, nm'atio^ it congratulates the Rus- peoni e ?Pon a Revolution which has over "a t,"vranny that resisted the intellectual Qed l developmnt of Russia, which has re-! ? tt  ????Bg menace of an agressive im- ?StD Y1 Eastern Europe, and which has ?ted ? P??e of Russia for the great work ??1 ?"?S their own political and economic 4drim a film founcl ation, and of taki ??7 a ?Hl ? ? ??? foundation, and of taki ? a ?ost -??? international movement for ?'?r.!?? ?mancipation from all forms of 2 ^Ploitatf110111'0 and imperialist oppression 2?oitt??? t?4p"reign l'olicy and War Aims.—This Con-, 1l1¡;a.ti  i Socialist and Democratic or- >t *ti0no 5 Great Britain hails with the great- 'cy a.??? the declaration of the foreign "ICld thewar aim.s of the Russian Pro- 1141 Overiiinent, and it shares with them the L convir>+-OIl the an of Tzardom and the 0^atinri 0 £ democratic principles in Russia's ??1 avt -) ???'Ral policy will create in the ??t-acS ,,??w nations new apirations to- ? staKU Pqs Stabl,P-ace and the brotherhood of na- ? ?h' ? th? belief we pledge ourselves to work ?? a  agrePT^ ent 'ith the international demo- ltr 'vhi I he re-estabhshment of a general ¡ll by c ",Il ? tend towards either domin- %r ?y or ?^1' ??y nation, or the seizure of ioO',Sessions or the violent usurpa- tj ()f th' ossesslons or t le VlO ent usurpa-: ?? thf-ir t ''?'?t?ies—a, peace without annex- 'tj0 °i" inrl e?rJnitie« and base d on the rights of k0lls to .i i"P to", eCIde their own affairs; and as a first ^ard^ his aim we call upon the British to announce its agree- V ^ith .i^^iately to announce its agree- thed?elal'ed foi-eicn policv and war of Russia. 'If til, (I erlfo,crat?ic government oi USSIa. Liberty.-TCi?, Conference calls upon C*?°rd T,-nt of Great Britain to place itself 4,'O?ord  democracy of Russia by pro- its nriu ^rence to and determinatIon to  ??to?j?'??d?te effect a charter of liberties Islnn.o complete political rights for aU men ??leon i'??t??ted freedom of the press. ?1 and —?' ? general amnesty for all tL^'ial 8|°vis prisoners, full rights of 4%tt'ia.1 PoIiticai the release of Pr f, association, the re lease of for?r, of compulsion an d re- ?'?/?'s and SOWiNS' Council—This l?e ""e, calls ?P?? the constituent bodies at  e rul'a to "tablish ? every town, urban and rural C-'onn^n s of Workmen and So ldiers' ij, Sati?s ,tes fQr initi""i=, and co-ordinating wor k- t i ass ,a,ctiYity in Sl)pürt of the pohcy ¡;¡,ek  ?o for?? suPPort of the policy set ?ously .?? ?solutions, and to work \t os y for a ,P"1,e made by the peop l es of ?'tolM couti? ?ce made by the peop l es of %rioll ,.eouinj les and for the complete poli- ?-q '\a economic ef I^?n('ip.ation of international c "neiLs ??1 also watch dili- q)¡J .Jot' and .re:s;¡S f??y encroachment up.n 'lal an clvll "bet. Ew;li a 11 giv? special at- t1)?osjti(),, ;i om en eiTiployed m ?, ?on? shall tal?L .?? the work of the :;{ r) i i W, lni(,r,s-- shall talip\C1Ve steps to stop the If, itl011 of f°°d and n other ?oessaries of shall concern tl.r 1 ?tih" ?s" concern t?hf?selves with questions '? the pensions ? ?o?nded and disabled '?? rr a,nd the FmiiTi" ??s payable to jendenW men ?and the maki? ? ? ?'? the Al ny ;? '? Gaining of In,alÓng of adequate pl'ovisJ9n ^al-nins of digabl^ for c,,Liit- t¡illdrenl1Illerative and for fi S^;in S«]uei'atiTe work fo, 10 r?t+rhe ?"- S t ?t,t? to civil "fe- And, further, that the co- this oonfAvcur.^ ? ????Po' ?nted a Prorl- a»oi«ted a Provi- to assist 'NCei^tion. of local W 0rV kr, s So ldiers' ls and ^eralK .n the policy t?rrnilled by this (?o,f"

The Case of jimmy Edmunds ILLTYD THOMAS' SPEECH FOR PATRIOTS. EXCITING TIMES IN CITY COUNCIL. I It is evident that the publicity given to Mr. Edmunds' position, together with the universal demand by the Labour. Movement, including the N.U.T. Executive, for a public enquiry, has borne fruit. The majority of the City Councillors are look- ing for a way out. The minority are still put- ting up a fight. They have revived the anony- mous letter again. Eighteen months ago they worked that for all they were -worth. They utilised the Education Committee, the Council and the Police, but failed ignominiously, for they themselves unanimously exonerated him. In spite of this the same slanders are being pub- licly and privately reiterated. This persistency makes one suspicious. The way out suggested is that the four teachers concerned should be treated in the same way as those whom they are retaining. If they are foiled it will be interesting to see what other means they will adopt to achieve their base designs. As a result of the recent powerful Trades Unionist deputation, reported in these columns, a special meeting of the Cardiff City Council was held last week-end, the Lord Mayor (Mr. J. Stanfield) presiding, to deal with the matter. Before the subject was dealt with the Lord Mayor proposed that the Council should ad- journ. and invited the members to meet him in his parlour in order that he might put before them a suggestion with regard to what he de- scribed as this very unpleasant matter." After sitting in private for over an hour, the mem bers returned to the council chamber. It was very evident that there had been some ex- citement in the, parlour, and heat was soon dis- played in the chamber. The Lord Mayor asked if it was the pleasure of the council that the four teachers involved should be given an opportunity of signing the undertaking subscribed to by all the other teachers in the city-an undertaking not to in- fluence the pupils on controversial subjects, and to teach the true spirit of patriotism if called upon to do so, according to the syllabus prepared by the education committee on the lines of the "amphlet issued by the Welsh Department of the Board of Education. Mr. H, M. Thompson moved and Mr. William Jones seconded that this be done, and the Lord Mayor was about to put it to the vote, when Alderman flltyd Th«ii?as vsaid Be wished to make a statement, seeing that, under the circum- stances, he would have to seriously consider his position as a member of the council. As far as the majority of his colleagues were concerned, they liaq that day voted, at the private con- ference, in such a way that showed that some of them did not know what they were voting for. (Cries of Xo, no.") "I am going to have my say," the Alderman continued, because, perhaps, it will be the last time I sliall have my say here." He then dealt in detail with Mr. Edmunds' case, stating that the latter had twice declared himself to be a con- scientious objector, but that on the third occa- sion he declared .himself not to be a conscientious objector, because he found himself in an awkward position. Edmunds, he went on, was a Volun- teer for years, and became a sergeant in that 'force. He said he became converted against militarism between 1904 and 1908. Mr. William Jones interrupted, Alderman Illtyd Thomas said he must proceed, as he might be speaking in that chamber for the last time on behalf of the patriots of the city- men and women whose fathers and brothers were fighting at the front, and unless he took up a strong attitude now the council would not be doing its duty to the ratepayers. Notwith- standing that Edmunds, according to his own statement, had become converted by 1908, he remained for nearly five years longer a member of a military club, composed solely of military members. His attitude generally had also been an unpatriotic one. They remembered that in October, 1914, Edmunds said that 99 per cent. of the stories of outrages and ravages on the women in Belgium were pure fabrications of the reptile press. A man who held those views, and not onlv held them but acted up to them, was not, in his opinion, a fit person to teach children. Then they remembered the seditious document which was in his* possession—a document which the acting chairman of the education committee ought to have taken to the police, but did not do so. Now the council were going to allow a. man of that* sort to remain in the employ of the corporation. Edmunds belonged to the I.L.P., to the Union of Democratic control, and was chairman of the No-Conscription League, and they must remember that the I.L.P. had been against the Government in every respect, and had sent messages to Germany, as they said, "over the British guns." With regard to Edmunds having applied for a position on a mine-sweeper, they must remem- ber (he continued) that he was not qualified for such a position, as he had had no experience of the sea. When the teachers were asked to attest, he was one of six teachers in his school who did not do so, showing his influence in that school. The Cardiff Branch of the National Union of Teachers, ap a meeting at which Edmunds was present, passed a resolution, mem. con., that it was undesirable to employ conscientious objec- tors as teachers. His own profession, therefore, did not endorse his action as a conscientious ob- jector. With regard to the agitation got up by the Trades Council, they must also remember (he re- marked) the unpatriotic attitude that body had followed right-through, and also that the class teachers in the city had broken their conneetion with, the Trades Council, so that now Mr. Ed- munds was not a member, but merely an official of the Trades Council. Mr. William Charles asked the alderman to have regard for the time of members. Alderman Illtyd Thomas: I ask you to have regard for your colleagues of the committee who passed the resolution after hearing the evidence, and that some of them are not afraid of doing their duty, notwithstanding the agitation en- gineered, probably by Mr. Edmunds himself. Mr. William Jones said he would leave the chamber in protest, and did so; and Mr. F. W. Blower also left. Mr. A. C. Kirk said he would also have to be heard, as he dissented strongly from the decision arrived at at the private conference. Sir John Courtis: And there are others who desire to do the same thing. Mr. H. M. Thompson said the making of speeches after the conference made the position one of great difficulty. Dr. R. J. Smith remarked that if they had those speeches there was no object in meeting privately in the Lord Mayor's parlour. The Lord Mayor: And I will fake care you do not meet there again in the same way. Of course, I do not mean you personally, doctor. At this stage the feeling was very heated, and a private conversation took place between the Lord Mayor, Alderman C. H. Bird, and Sir John Courtis, as the evident result of which Alderman Bird moved an' adjournment of the proceedings, having regard to the present atmosphere and the general feeling that had been displayed." This was seconded by Mr. Sydney Jenkins and I carried, only two voting against it.

The People's Food. I MERTHYR TRADESMEN PROSECUTED. I DRASTIC PENALTIES. The Merthyr Stipendiary (Mr. U. A. Griffith) imposed heavy fines in cases of infringements of the various orders of the Food Controller brought befpre him on Tuesday. Wm. Prosser Burrows, manager of the Mer- thyr and Troedyrhiw Co-operative Society, and their haulier, David John Thomas, were sum- moned for exposing for sale bread less than 12 hours old. Mr. J. A. Wilson (Chief Constable) who prosecuted in all the cases, said that Harold Jenkins, Inspector of Weights and Measures, stopped the cart driven by Thomas, and on ex- amination, found 181 loaves, 100 of which were warm, and 81 were stale. The inspector took the cart back to the Co-op. where Mr. Burrows said, "Yes, this is fresh bread. I have told him often which raoks to take the bread from." There were several cooling racks on the premises, some of which were used for the storage of stale bread. The defence was that the haulier being a new employee had made a mistake in taking the new bread, which was. against the orders of Mr. Burrows. The Stipendiary pointed out the importance of tho Order, and said he must hold Air. Burrows responsible as manager to see that his orders wer. carried out, otherwise a serious loophole was provided for the evasion of the order, and must impose penalties which would impress on the defendants, and others, the importance of carrying out these Orders. Mr. Burrows was fined C5, and Thomas 20s. Mr. F. S. Simons re- presented the Society. John Evans, Ltd., Brecon-road, were fined £ 5, and the manager of the shop 20s., for exposing for sale 40 loaves, not weighing lib., or an even number of pounds. The manager of the store said his instructions were to return all loaves not weighting multiples of lib. to the ware- house. Mr. Simons was for defendants. John Thomas, Brecon-road, summoned for a similar offence, the number of loaves being three, was mulct in 40s. Annie Julia Davies, High-street, Penydarren, was summoned for selling seed potatoes at a price in excess of the statutory price, and for not having the authority of the Food Controller she imposed a condition to the sale. A Mrs. Jones said that she went to defen- dant's shop, and asked for 61bs. of seed potatoes, and was asked to buy broccolli at 8d. each. Mrs. Jones then left the shop and had a conversation with P.S. Richards, and later returned to the shop and again asked for potatoes and got 41bs. for Is. 2d., also purchasing two oranges. She had a further conversation with P.S. Richards, who subsequently visited the shop. Defendant denied that any mention was made of the conditional purchase of broccolli. She admitted charging 3jd. per lb., though she knew the maximum charge was 3d., but she had paid Ll 6s. per cwt. for them. She did not get the required signed declaration when selling seed potatoes. Defendant was fined 40s. for charging too much, the second charge of imposing conditions being dismissed. Samuel Phillips, grocer, Plymouth-street, Mer- thyr, and his wife Annie Phillips, were sum moned for attempting to impose conditions in the sale of sugar. Walter Edwards said that on his way home from work on May 8th, he called at Phillips' shop and asked Mrs. Phillips if she had any sugar. She replied, "Yes," and he asked for a pound, to which she replied, We sell other things besides sugar." He then asked whether in the event of giving an order for goods he could have sugar, and was told that he could, but Mrs. Phillips refused to state the amount of order he should give. He left the shop and went I to the police station. P.S. G. Davies returned to the shop with the complaint, and there the I female defendant said: "I am not imposing. We would not sell sugar alone." Sam Phillips j said he was not present at the time of Edwards' visit. visit.- PhilUps was fined ?5 and £ he case against the other defendant dismissed. Summoned for charging one penny for a pa- per bag in which some potatoes were supplied to a customer, Thomap Henry Reed, Banana Stores, Merthyr, pleaded lie was not aware that this practice (instructions for the carrying out of which he admitted having issued to his as- sistants) was an infringement of the regulations. The ease was dismissed on the payment of 7/6 costs, defendant undertaking not to repeat the offence. Sidney Davies, Pontmorlais, was fined jE5 for attempting to make the supplying of a, pound of sugar conditional on the purchase of groceries.

PLEASE MENTION THE PIONEER WHEN ANSWERING ADVERTS.

More About the Aims of the C.L.C. Questions denote awakened interest. There- fore, it is with pleasure that an attempt will be made to answer the query of "Plebian." As far back as July 29th., 1916, in these columns, was shown the difference between education in general and the special education needed by the working-class. But repetition is the mother of study, and this subject is so important, so im- mensely potential, that, like the saving grace of the chapel evangelist, it cannot be spoken of too often. What is the difference between independent I working-class education and education in 11 working-class education and education in -genera .I laking the word "education" in its broadest sense, the whole of life may be said to be an education. From the time we acquire the know- ledge that our parents are a source of susten- ance and protection to when we reach the last long sleep when life is finished, our education proceeds; though we are Red Indians or gypsies, ignorant of reading and writing. Experience is the real fount and test of knowledge. We are educated, the powers of the mind are taught and trained in the first place by experience. The mind generalises experiences into theories. For example, the theory 11 Boiling water scalds is the result of contacts with, or experiences of boiling waters. But modern man has not to ob- tain all his theories by first-hand experiences, for he profits by the theories gained by his pre- decessors, and thus the modern child has no need to repeat the experience of being scalded by boil- ing water. All knowledge or theories were passed on from generation to generation by word of mouth till the discovery of writing made books possible. Modern man stands on the shoulders of his ancestors because books enable him to gain and use the vast knowledge slowly acquired in the byegone ages when man, by gra- dually developing his thinking or theorising faculty, learned the way to continually live bet- ter and to widen the gap between himself and the animal. The average man of our own day is perhaps inferior in thinking capacity to an ancient like Aristotle. Yet, owing to the cease- less experiments of men anxious to know, the wonderful results obtained from the modern specialisation in the various branches of science, and the stored, accumulated, increasing wisdom of the intervening years, the modern schoolboy may smile at many of the beliefs of Aristotle concerning the nature of the physical world. So much for education in the abstract edu- cation in general. Speneer m Ms "$diiei&ioia Intellectual, Moral, and Physical" (Watts, 6d.) wrote: "To prepare us for complete living is the function which education has to discharge; and the only rational mode of judging of an edu- cational course, is, to judge in what degree it discharges such function." As the title of Spencer's book implies, education can be divided up into divisions, and these divisions are arbi- trary and endless. In our elementary schools the rudiments of learning, the three R's, are taught, and a smat- tering of many things. Specialisation with a job in view is adopted in the higher schools and colleges. Technical edu- cation provides the skilled workmen and over- lookers necessary to capitalist production. The humanities," music, literature, etc., and also the natural sciences, e.g., botany, astron- omy, etc., are sometimes touched upon in the above-mentioned smattering; but they are large- ly left to the inclination of the individual to fol- low up or reject as he so desires. Now in elementary education, in technical education, in study of the natural sciences and in appreciation of the arts, both capitalist and worker can agree. But when the social sciences, history and economics, are discussed, then that agreement ends and class bias comes into play. When discussing, for instance, where do profits come from or the relative position of the wage- worker to the labourer in his Golden Age the working-class and the capitalist class would' come to contradictory conclusions. Hence the need of getting a class viewpoint, and one which is independent from the influence of the powers that be. Just as capitalism in its rise to power attacked the divine right of kings, destroying the feudal hierarchy of which it was the summit and brought with it new ideas and new codes of molality, so the working-class in its rise brings new theories, new vices, and new virtues. The conflict of interests on measuring-day in the mine and workshop shows itself also in the schoolroom and upon the educational field. To be true to one's class is a vice to the capitalist but a virtue to the class-conscious worker. In talking about the vital need of the workers for a thorough grounding in industrial history and economics we are sometimes told that an economic view of society is too narrow, that life is more than "a bread and butter question," and that man is not all belly. And these dilet- tanti approach the problem of working-class edu- cation as though they were choosing the colour of their socks. Life is certainly not all belly, but we have never heard of a man without one. The bread and butter problem of the wage- worker must be settled before he can read poetry or follow prize-fighting, revel in the wonders of the natural sciences or take any part in the varied pursuits which can occupy only his leisure hours if he has any left. It is only by special- izing in the social sciences that the worker will I get an insight, into the origin, present, and fu- ture of his class. Who ever heard a sympa- thetic account of the history of Trade Unionism in their schooldays ? Do we expect professors dependent for their jobs upon our present rulers to tell us that profits are unpaid labour and capital, accumulated unpaid labour used for ex- ploitation? Can the workers get education "to prepare them for a complete living if that edtr- cation neglects to tell them about what concerns them most. The poverty of the workers' life, their general insecurity of employment and their struggle against adverse forces are circumstances which make a social change imperative, and therefore education with that end in view. The working-class has so far allowed others to rule and the present hideous state of affairs is the result. The Aim of the C.L.C. The C.L.C. came into existence as a result of dissatisfaction with teaching which was not in- dependent of the capitalists and not calculated to help forward the workers as a class. It teaches the Marxian Theories in Economics and History. In the Times" of November 22nd, 1916, appeared the following compliment: "This institution (the O.L.C.), it may be remembered, was established as the result of dissatisfaction with the curriculum at Ruskin College, Oxford. .From Oxford it was transferred to Earl's Court, London, and thence it has spread the doctrine of the class war far and wide. Recently it came under the joint control of the S. W .M.F. and N.U.R., and special efforts are now being made to extend its work throughout this district (i.e., South Wales), chiefly by lectures in the work- men's institutes and co-operative societies' rooms. "A third educational agency is an organisation called the Plebs League, which aims at the edu- cation of the workers by means of classes in sociology, industrial history, Marxian economics and so on. Not only do hundreds of young miners absorb this teaching, but many of them are sent by their lodges to the Central College, London, and come back to preach what they have learned—mainly as a gospel of open hos- tility to the employers and constant agitation for the complete extraction of profits." Then this correspondent went on to deal with the fruits of this specialised education in the push- ing of the Federation Executive by the young and irresponsible agitators who never age and who are always resurrected by the press and La- bour Ministers to explain disturbances. The capitalist system in its press always bewails its own effects. In conclusion, "Plebian" should understand that independent working-class education is out to provide that self knowledge of its own exist- ence and conditions, that self-reverence, because of its high mission, and that self-control which will alone lead the working-class to sovereign power. It is out to educate the workers up to the point of control and administration of the productive forces. Like the camel's gradual oc- cupation of the tent in the fable, this may be a slow process, but we know which class will have to finally get out. "W ould "Plebian" and others who may read this voice through their lodges, if they are miners, the urgent need of a full re-opening of the College to carry on its work. Our Executive at the last annual confer- ence proposed one solution to the problem of an empty college, which was rejected; there is s. better way. Strengthen the hands of the minor- ity in the Executive en this ma a- and help to destroy the State'-hypiiotia^tl actitudo which bm prevailed so far. If the vagueness still lingers then make more queries. A pamphlet is in pre- paration by the Plebs League which will put into a permanent form the case for independent working-class education for such as Plebian. M.S.

The Mayor' s Appeal. CONFINE YOURSELF AS NEAR AS POS- SIBLE TO FOOD ALLOWANCE. The Mayor of Merthyr (Councillor N. F. Han- key) at Tuesday's meeting of the Corporation said that he had received an important commu- nication to which he desired to draw attention. The Government had issued instructions to local authorities to utilise Empire Day (Thursday) to urge upon everybody the great importance of economising in food and preventing wastage, and as that meeting was held only two days prior to that, he thought the occasion an opportune one to bring the communication before the Council. He felt certain that all the members of that Council were doing their best to economise, and he would like, through. the kindness of the Press, to appeal to the outside public, and par- ticularly to the women, of Merthyr to do their best to carry out what the Government asked of them. We all knew that our soldiers and sailors were risking their lives on our behalf, and it was our duty to do all we could to he p. He was not asking us to do anything which he was not doing himself-he did not say this in any, boastful spirit-for since the .Food Rationing came out he and his family had kept to it strictly. He knew that it was more difficult-for men following heavy manual labour to confine themselves to the allowances than it was for a man like himself, who lived a more or less seden- tary life; and what he asked was that all should do what they could to keep within the ration- inallowancè as near as possible. The Council had previously decided to plsm copies of the Order in the local libraries and reading rooms so that the public might have an • opportunity to acquaint itself with the require- ments.

Mid-Rhondda's Loss. TRAGIC DEATH OF AN ENTHUSIASTIC COMRADE. It is with profound regret that we have to re- cord the tragic death of Comrade Willie F. Wal- ters, Tylorstown, son of the stalwart Comrade Morgan Walters, late of Ynysybwl. Our late comrade met with a serious accident at the No. 7 Colliery, Tylorstown, on Wednes- day, the 10th inst., resulting in his death the following day. He was a very enthusiastic comrade, beloved by all who knew him, and like his esteemed father, his heart and soul was devoted to the cause of Humanity. He had become a recog- nised power in the community where he lived. The funeral took place at Llanwono Cemetery on Tuesday, the 16th inst., and was one of the largest funerals ever witnessed in the commu- nity. Comrades from all parts of the imminent vallies, giving a magnificent display of their colours, gathered together in strong numbers paying their last respect to one who was so en- thusiastic in the cause of Socialism. As a local comradeship we have sustained an irreparable loss- Great sympathy is felt with the bereaved family in their loss of such a noble son.